Amala is one of the most cherished delicacies of the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria. Its smooth texture, rich taste, and nutritional value have made it a favorite meal for people from all walks of life. Made from dried yam flour and prepared into a soft dough, it is traditionally enjoyed with ewedu and gbegiri soups, accompanied by a variety of proteins.
Last Monday, when @SholaIB announced his return to Lagos and proposed an Amala food crawl to visit a local spot, I knew I wouldn’t miss it. Besides my love for amala, it had been a while since I last saw him.
When it was time to choose the venue, the responsibility fell on me. Without hesitation, I suggested that we make it more than just a food meetup by visiting three locations: J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Iya Eba Restaurant, and Ghana High Restaurant.
Meetup day finally arrived. Although four Local Guides had initially indicated interest, only three of us eventually made it. Interestingly, each of us @SholaIB, @MrLabule and me had quite a journey.
Cation:
photo of shola on a boat and me on a bike heading for the meetup
It was raining heavily on my end, and traffic was at its worst. To make it on time, I had to hop on a commercial motorcycle for a 35-kilometre ride. Shola combined a boat ride, a bus, and a motorcycle to get there, while Mr. Labule battled Lagos traffic after a personal engagement and still managed to join us.
We met at the J. Randle Centre while waiting for Mr. Labule. During the wait, Shola and I made a cameo appearance in @Kumaarsantosh virtual meetup and even joined the group photo session before heading to our first stop.
Our first destination was Iya Eba Restaurant, a legendary eatery that has been serving traditional Nigerian delicacies for over 50 years. We all ordered the same combination—amala with ewedu and gbegiri—but each chose different proteins. As expected, Local Guides being Local Guides, we took plenty of photos, shared reviews, and talked extensively about the challenges facing the Nigeria Local Guides community. We reminisced about the good old days when Lagos meetups were frequent and attracted large crowds, while also discussing ideas that could help revive that spirit. Hopefully, Shola will champion some of those ideas. 
Next, we stopped at Ghana High Restaurant, famous for its delicious Ghana jollof rice. Although we didn’t have another full meal, we picked up some locally made snacks. As we sampled them, the conversation drifted to childhood memories and how we had all grown up enjoying almost every snack on display.
Caption:
sugar coated groundnut and coconut candy
With our appetites satisfied, it was finally time to properly explore the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History.
After registering at the entrance and paying the admission fee, we took the escalator to the first floor, where the museum experience began. The museum is a modern hybrid, self-guided experience that beautifully tells the story of Yoruba history and culture.
The immersive sound effects instantly transported us decades into the past. Combined with excellent lighting, climate control, interactive displays, and thoughtfully curated exhibitions, the experience was nothing short of impressive. One of the highlights was watching Shola and Mr. Labule dance alongside a digital installation that mirrored their movements in real time.
The museum houses an impressive collection of artworks, historical artifacts, and cultural exhibits, all displayed in a beautifully maintained environment that encourages exploration.
Of course, as Local Guides, we did what we do best—we captured countless photos for Google Maps, updated listings, left reviews, documented our experiences, and even started discussing plans for another meetup in September.
Before leaving, we stopped by Oníṣẹ́ Ọ̀nà, the museum’s gift shop, where we picked up a few souvenirs. We also added the shop to Google Maps, took a few more photos, exchanged handshakes, registered our exit, and each headed home after another memorable Lagos Local Guides meetup.
Cation:
magnetic lagos yellow danfo bus and magnetic map of nigeria art souvenirs
Despite the rain, the traffic, and the logistics, the day was filled with great food, meaningful conversations, cultural discovery, and the shared passion that keeps the Local Guides community alive.
Here’s to many more meetups—and hopefully an even bigger turnout next time!
Enjoy the photo album
Meet-up. We were only 3 in attendance but we really enjoyed and celebrated it.
with the Àmàlà joint and later the cultural edifice. It was great seeing you guys again today 
