The rate at which bars and drinking joints are springing up in different parts Lagos indicates that more residents are looking for ways to burn out stress, writes SAMUEL AWOYINFA
A columnist once stated that the way bars and drinking joints are springing up in every corner in Lagos is comparable to the spread of churches.
The fact is that from Iju, Agege, Ogba, Obalende to Ikeja, Lekki, and other parts of the city, running of bars and joints has become a choice business.
And the owners of these facilities are from varied backgrounds. While some are politicians, retired civil servants, others are businessmen. Again, the space, convenience, comfort and menu each offers show the class of clientele it attracts.
A new lounge, bar and restaurant, i-Level, situated in Ogba, Ikeja area is said to be owned by a former local government Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, who’s currently a legislator in one of the legislative chambers in Abuja.
While another one named House 16 in Agege is owned by a businessman, there is a refrain from all the operators of this type of business who spoke to our correspondent: it is a lucrative enterprise.
A visit to any neighbourhood from 6.00pm will confirm this. Fun seekers would be seen arriving one after the other, in their cars or on foot if they live nearby. Some others come in company with friends from offices, after the closing hours.
A preponderance of these bars and drinking joints are located in Iju, Fagba, Oko Oba, Akowonjo, Ogba, Ojodu, Ikeja, Agege, Maryland, Ilupeju, Oshodi, Mushin, Ojuelegba, among other areas.
There were not less than eight different bars and drinking joints on Social Club Road, New Oko Oba, via Abule Egba, before the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company sent in a demolition squad to remove some obstruction on the pipeline right of way.
At Fagba axis along Iju Road in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government area, it is also a carnival of bars.
One of the prominent ones is Pedro’s Bar, located at Fagba Junction. And in Ogba, a bar called Urban plays in the big league. According to the assistant manager, Mr. Stanley Onyewe, it runs 24 hours service.
Many of the established bars have spaces that can take a considerable number of people, with some of them having VIP lounges for their special guests/customers. Besides, they also have in-house deejays who thrill their customers with music while some others have live bands on some days.
The Manager of Pedro’s Bar, Mr. Ayomide Saheeb, says Fridays and Sundays are tagged Makosa Nights as artistes who major in Soukous brand of music are invited.
“Again, there is also Fela’s Night when an artiste versed in Fela’s music performs some old numbers live. On normal days, there is an in-house deejay,” he adds.
Saheeb, who states that the business is lucrative, however, warns that it requires deft managerial ability. “It is a business one cannot do alone. So, the manager must be able to manage the outfit, staff and the customers without any role conflict,” he says.
Mr. Akin Ayinde, who manages ‘House 16’ Guest House and Bar, agrees with Saheeb that Lagosians know how to relax. He explains that weekends are his busiest days. “We attend to customers till 11.00pm until the last customer leaves,” he states.
Pedro’s Bar, according to Saheeb, closes between 12.00am and 1.00am. Onyewe, Saheeb and Ayinde say prices of food and drinks vary, depending on customers’ preferences.
For a plate of rice or eba, a customer could pay between N300 and N1000, depending on whether it goes with beef, fish, snail, catfish/goat meat pepper soup or ‘assorted’.
Our correspondent observed that prices of drinks increase with some margins when compared with what obtains outside. A bottle of Malta Guinness goes for N200, while that of a small stout sells at N300 in some places.
The reason for this is connected with the overhead cost of the business, which, according to the operators, is high. Power is a major challenge, as they do not rely on the epileptic power supply from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
Saheeb says the management spends N135,000 monthly diesel, to run its generator, which must be on 24 hours to ensure the drinks are chill, and the rooms cool.
On his part, Onyewe states, “We buy diesel worth N20,000 daily.”
Another area they spend money on is the provision of security. Apart from employing the services of private security personnel, they pay some members of the O’odua Peoples Congress, and even area boys, to keep bad boys at bay.
“We carry out security checks on the people coming in, because we are very conscious of the security of our clients/customers,” Ayinde adds.
However, while the operators of bars and drinking joints continue to laugh all the way to the bank, a psychiatrist has identified the reasons why even many married men would stop by at these places after a hard day’s job, rather than going home to reunite with their wives and children early.
A lecturer and former Head of Department of Psychiatry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo campus, Dr. Adeoye Oyewole, notes that some men resort to this attitude because of the pressure from their wives at home, while some others do it just to fraternise with their friends.
He says, “It is not bad in its entirety, because even in the university, there is what is called the Senior Staff Club, where lecturers unwind and discuss intellectual matters, before going home. Some others will also want to unwind after having gone through pressure in their offices. But it is bad when people now begin to use it as an escapist reason.”
Of course, many also escape to these arenas when traffic is too bad and go home when the road becomes free.