DANFO : A STUBBORN NIGERIAN RELIC

The iconic Lagos commercial shuttle known as Danfo stands as the mainstay for the current reality of the Nigerian population, whether it be through pasted motivational sayings like "No Food For Lazy man," with their frequently messy appearance, or the funny-meets-hustling environment this provides.

That minibus called Danfo was once called “Kiakia Bus” (Yoruba for ‘quick bus’). The reason is, it filled up more quickly than the bigger bus called “molue’ (American school bus type) that existed before the minibus arrived on the roads of Lagos in the mid-60s.

The yellow color associated with Danfo buses, which evolved from the disintegrating Molue, is now referred to as the unique commercial vehicle for Lagosians, particularly for Nigerians who belong to the middle and lower classes.
Danfo buses also serve as a decaying contradiction in Lagos, Nigeria's most financially viable state, despite the city's apparent quest for cosmopolitanism.

The Danfo, a German manufacturing company product, was produced between 1979 and 2002. To date, the Danfo bus is still the strongest commercial vehicle you’ll find in Lagos.

​

 

​

​

​