Traditional Nigerian textiles and clothing are great products to bring home with you, since they are light and easily fit into a suitcase. These are brightly colored cloth, providing loose fitting clothing for men and women. The materials used to create the clothing are lace, adire (indigo dyed cloth), and ankara (wax dyed cloth). Women’s clothing items include buba (a loose blouse that falls below the waist), iro (a rectangular piece of clothing that is wrapped around the waist), and gele (fabric used as head gear). Sokoto (loose fitting pants) are worn by men.

You will find these products at Jankara Market, which is the largest in Lagos. As well as died cloth, you will also find hand-made beads and jewelry, pottery, and regular styled clothing. There is a part of the market also selling traditional herbs, medicines and ‘juju’ (folkloric medicine) potions and powders. Balogun Market, also in Lagos, is another excellent place to pick up these products, with a huge display of fabrics. You can also try Isale Eko or Bar Beach markets to grab a bargain.

Bargaining is the norm in Nigeria. Typically, vendors will start with an inflated price for a product, and then you are expected to haggle down by half. Some vendors may start with an even higher price, in particular trying to take advantage of tourists. In this case you should only pay what you feel comfortable with. However, if you do agree on a final price, you should always buy the product, as not doing so is considered very rude. Some products, however, such as basic groceries, will have a fixed price and cannot be bargained for.

There is also a modern shopping mall in Lagos which is convenient for finding electronic goods, jewelry, or fashion. It is called Palms Shopping Mall, and houses over 30 stores, including American clothing brands such as Nike, Puma, and Ralph Lauren. There are also banking and other services for foreigners. There are also several places to find international cuisine in its accommodating food court.