There’s Monday—and then there’s Monday in Lagos.
The city that never sleeps wakes up even earlier on Mondays. The alarms ring before 5 a.m., the traffic doesn’t wait, and if you make it to work by 8:00 a.m. without sweating through your shirt—you’ve already won.

But for the rest of us trying to juggle power outages, public transport, unrealistic KPIs, and unfriendly bosses, Lagos Mondays are a test of survival.

Here are 10 all-too-relatable Monday morning struggles every Lagos worker knows too well. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

1. 🕓 Waking Up Before the Birds

“My alarm rings at 4:15 a.m. I don’t snooze. I leap. Because if I miss the 5 a.m. bus, I might as well work from the bus stop.”
— Isioma, banker, Egbeda to VI

The 4 a.m. club isn’t about motivation—it’s about beating the monster called Lagos traffic. For most workers living on the Mainland and commuting to the Island, the goal is to beat the hold-up before it beats you.

2. 🚌 Fighting for Buses Like It’s Hunger Games

“Once I see that danfo slow down, I don’t wait. I run. It’s survival of the fittest.”
— Tobi, hairstylist, Berger to Ojuelegba

It’s a full-contact sport. Pushing into BRT queues, dodging conductors shouting “One chance!”, or squeezing into overloaded keke napeps—it’s not just transport, it’s chaos dressed as routine.

3. 🧥 Wearing Corporate Clothes in a Heatwave

“They said ‘dress smart’, but they didn’t say Lagos sun would humble your entire wardrobe.”
— Chuka, office assistant, Surulere

You spent all of Sunday ironing and preparing your “serious worker” outfit. But the second you step outside, the sun says, “Hold my Zobo.” The result? A soaked shirt before 9 a.m.

4. 💨 No Light, No Fuel, No Peace

“PHCN took light at 1 a.m., gen was faulty, so I ironed at the office car park with my rechargeable iron.”
— Fisayo, admin staff, Ikeja

In Lagos, electricity isn’t guaranteed. So, Monday often starts with improvisation: bucket baths by flashlight, ironing clothes at work, or showing up to Zoom meetings with a dead ring light.

5. 💻 Logging In With 1 Bar of Network

“I told my boss I couldn’t join Zoom. MTN said ‘no dey rush me abeg.’”
— Rita, virtual assistant, Festac

Working from home sounds sweet—until mobile network stress joins the party. On Mondays, you pray your Wi-Fi doesn’t disappoint you mid-presentation.

6. 🤕 Surviving Your Boss’s Monday Mood

“Once I hear her heels click by 8:00 a.m., I log out of vibes and into fear.”
— Kolade, finance intern, Ikoyi

There’s something about Mondays that turns normal bosses into drill sergeants. The tension in the office is real. Your peace? Nowhere to be found.

7. 📈 Kicking Off Sales with Zero Motivation

“Nobody wants to buy on Monday, but my supervisor says, ‘Push harder.’ Push wetin?”
— Blessing, telco sales rep, Lagos Island

Salespeople know the struggle: targets don’t care if customers are still recovering from weekend parties. You pitch, they dodge. Repeat.

8. 💅 Service Workers Dealing with Entitled Customers

“One aunty told me I should re-do her nails for free because ‘Monday is not her color.’”
— Amaka, nail tech, Yaba

From salons to restaurants to delivery drivers, Monday customers bring weekend hangovers, strange

9. 🤯 The “What Did You Do Over the Weekend?” Guilt Trap

“My colleagues talk about clubbing, I’m here calculating how I managed two meals with ₦1,800.”
— Shedrack, data entry clerk, Ajegunle

Office banter about “weekend getaways” and “lounge vibes” can quickly remind you of how broke you are. Mondays aren’t just stressful—they’re humbling.

10. 🍚 No Food, No Time, Just Garri Dreams

“I didn’t eat breakfast, my lunch is in traffic with the delivery guy, and I’m chewing mint to survive.”
— Seyi, HR assistant, Ikate

Monday hunger is the most disrespectful kind. From skipping meals to surviving on gala and La Casera, food becomes luxury—until salary week comes.

💬 Final Thoughts: Surviving Mondays in Lagos = Ultimate Hustle

If you’ve experienced 3 or more of these today, congrats—you’re a certified Lagos hustler.
From power issues to pushy bosses, the Lagos Monday lifestyle is not for the faint-hearted. But somehow, we still show up. We survive. And we even find time to post motivational quotes before 8 a.m. 😅

📢 Over to You:

Which of these Monday morning struggles did you survive today?

💬 Drop a comment below
📸 Tag @EyesOfLagos on Instagram or Twitter
🔖 Use #MondayInLagos to join the conversation

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