Shopping in Ogbomoso: Where Your Wallet Gets a Workout
you ever tried haggling for a pair of sandals in the middle of the sunniest part of ogbomoso and realized the price dropped from 500 to 300 naira? yeah, me neither. i’m a freelance photographer who spent three days dodging vendors at the ogbomoso fruit hub, and let me tell you: this city is a mess of colors, smells, and mathematical chaos. *first stop: the mensidi market. 8am sharp, because the onions start to wilt at 8:15. i’ll never forget the woman who slapped me with a 500 naira note when i laughed at her bell pepper price. safety? according to the oyo state crime stats, it’s safer than lagos but don’t ask me to cite a source. rent? my hostel here costs 32,000 naira/month. that’s like 400 dollars. the job market? 70% of folks here work in agriculture or banking. but hey, at least the wifi’s passable for uploading shots.
ophir street: the unofficial fashion district. neon signs flicker brighter than my phone camera. overheard a guy ranting about how the new sagamu mall’s ‘luxury’ stores are just overpriced counterfeit gucci. delish. pro-tip: never trust a vendor who says ‘original products’ if they’re under a tree. third visit:* the police headquarters dairy market. yes, seriously. buy cheese wrapped in newspaper at 20% off. weird, but true.
weather? hotter than a btr milk boiling over. neighbors in ebura-opul in Oyo State? they’re just a 2-hour drive and pretending they’re better than us. someone dropped a nugget of wisdom in a bar: ‘the new terminal market might be fake. i saw a guy take a basket labeled ‘fresh fish’ and yank it out of a plastic bag.’
if you’re here for deals, ignore the luxury malls downtown. head to ogbomoso college of education’s bookstore - textbooks cheaper than a gram of magic mushrooms. and if you need a photo spot? shoot sunset at the obeja park. just don’t ask for directions. everyone points elsewhere.
oh, and the electricity? spotty. carry a power bank. or a headlamp. or a stick for bargaining. seriously.
tripadvisor link local reddit thread youtube blog weather forecast
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