True Life Story blog

I Was Homeless in Lagos for 6 Months and No One Knew – Woman shares

I never imagined that one day, I’d be living in the same city I once called my dream — but with no roof over my head.

I came to Lagos with hope. I had just gotten a job offer, and although the salary wasn’t much, I believed I would manage. Like many people, I thought Lagos would open doors for me. Instead, it nearly swallowed me.

I paid for a single room with the little savings I had, expecting that my salary would start coming in regularly. But months went by with delays, excuses, and eventually, nothing. My landlord gave me grace for a while, but patience doesn’t last forever. I was evicted quietly  no noise, no scene. Just my bag, my dignity, and nowhere to go.

I didn’t tell anyone. I was too ashamed. I didn’t want to be seen as a failure, especially by people who thought I was “doing well in Lagos.” So I pretended. I went to work every day, dressed neatly, smiled, and even updated my WhatsApp status like I was okay. Nobody suspected that at night.

I was sleeping in church foyers, BRT terminals, and on some nights, inside buses parked in garages.
I became an expert at looking clean without having a home. I would bathe in public toilets, brush in restaurant restrooms, and freshen up in shopping mall bathrooms. I learned to eat once a day, drink plenty of water to feel full, and guard my bag like it was my life because it actually was.

The loneliness was the worst part. Not just physical loneliness, but the emotional kind  the pain of knowing I had nowhere to turn, and the fear that people would judge me if they knew. I remember crying silently many nights while pretending to be on a phone call, just to avoid suspicion.

It wasn’t until a woman at work my supervisor noticed something was off. One day, she looked me in the eye and asked, “Where do you go at night?” I couldn’t lie anymore. I broke down. That conversation changed everything. She connected me to a women’s hostel that charged a small weekly fee. That small room with a shared mattress felt like heaven. It was the first time in months I could sleep without clutching my bag in fear.

Now, I’m gradually rebuilding my life. I’ve changed jobs, started saving better, and I no longer hide my story.
Because the truth is, so many people are suffering silently in cities like Lagos — smiling during the day and sleeping on streets at night.

If you’re one of them, please don’t let shame isolate you. Speak up. Ask for help. You deserve safety, not secrecy.
And if you’re reading this from a place of comfort: check on your friends.

Poverty and homelessness aren’t always obvious. Sometimes, they wear perfume, carry laptops, and show up to work like everything’s fine. Share in the comment section if you have ever been in this type of situation.

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