7 Classic Lies Lagos Workers Tell (No. 3 Will Make Your Boss Side-Eye You)
Lagos is the city of hustle, bustle — and a little small-small fibbing to survive 9 to 5. In the land of “no dulling,” office workers have perfected the art of telling white lies to stay sane (or just to escape unnecessary wahala). Whether it’s dodging HR, late coming, or needing “urgent” personal days, these classic fibs are so common, even the bosses don’t believe them anymore. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Let’s break down the top 7 legendary lies Lagos workers tell — and trust us, No. 3 will have your manager questioning everything!
1. “I’m Almost There!” (From Ikorodu 😩)
Nothing screams Lagos delay louder than this lie.
It’s 9:14 am. You’re still brushing teeth in Iyana Ipaja but texting your boss, “I’m almost at CMS.”
Meanwhile, Google Maps says 1 hour 45 minutes.
🗨️ X Reactions:
@JoblessYemi: “If I had ₦10 for every ‘I’m almost there’ lie, I’d be working in Banana Island by now.”
2. “I Had a Family Emergency”
This excuse is the go-to when deadlines are ignored or meetings are missed.
And somehow, these emergencies only happen on Fridays or Mondays. 😏
HR be like: “This family must be really dramatic.”
3. “My Laptop Crashed”
A modern-day classic.
Suddenly, the Excel sheet vanishes. The PowerPoint evaporates. The deliverable is gone.
👀 Translation: “I forgot to do the work, but if I blame the system, maybe I’ll get an extension.”
💥 Warning: Overuse of this lie will make IT guys suspicious and bosses irritated.
4. “I Didn’t See Your Email”
A lie as old as Yahoo Mail.
Never mind that Gmail shows “read” receipts. Lagosians still act like the message fell into a Bermuda Triangle of spam.
📩 Some even reply, “Just seeing this,” to a message sent 4 days ago. Classic!
5. “NEPA Took Light” (In an Office with Inverter)
This one’s hilarious when it comes from people who work in fully powered offices or cafes with constant Wi-Fi.
Yet, “light issue” is the best way to explain a disappearing act during Zoom calls or missed deadlines.
6. “I Was Stuck in Traffic” (Even at 7am 😅)
To be fair, Lagos traffic is a legit excuse… until you realize they left the house at 8:59 for a 9:00 meeting.
Some even blame imaginary “tankers” blocking Third Mainland when they actually overslept.
7. “I’m Sick” (But at the Beach 🌴)
Suddenly, food poisoning hits… and the next day, your ‘sick’ colleague is in a tagged beach photo with sunglasses and mojito.
💻 Boss: “I thought you said you were admitted at LUTH?”
📱 Instagram: “#SoftLife #VitaminSea”
Conclusion:
In Lagos, survival requires smart thinking — and sometimes, smart lying 😅.
But beware, your boss might already know these classic lines. So, next time you’re tempted to say “My phone was stolen” after ghosting work, just know… you’re not the first. And definitely not the last.