Lagos has always had its starter pack. We had the era of people carrying cash around because ATMs were not to be trusted, or people joining long fuel queues because someone on Obasanjo’s internet swore that prices would go up by morning (they were usually right), and there was also the era where we willingly climbed high-risk okadas with engines that you couldn’t tell apart from a wailing child. That version of Lagos isn’t completely gone, unfortunately, but it’s no longer the only version of the city we are now used to. 

Beneath the chaos of the city, a different Lagos is slowly but steadily taking shape. One where smarter systems, everyday convenience, and new infrastructure are changing how people navigate the city. If you’ve paid attention to these things, chances are that you’ve already caught a glimpse of the future. 

Here are seven sure signs you’ve stepped into the New Lagos starter pack. 

1. You genuinely don’t know where your ATM card is

You probably think we are calling you careless, but honestly, that’s not it. We also don’t know where our cards are. 

There was a time when we had the tonasobe and the Motorola phones that could only make calls and send texts, but fortunately, technology has advanced, and we now have the androids and iPhones. Your phone can order groceries, pay your bills, settle your Uber driver, and take care of anything you need. The only time you ever remember you have an ATM card is either when your bank app fails (as it usually does) or when you enter a place that only collects cards.

2.  All the delivery riders in Lagos know the way to your house 

Yes, we are exaggerating, but even you know we are not lying. 

There was a time when ordering things felt like a luxury, but now, it’s like second nature. Life has become so convenient that you don’t have to leave your house to buy food, clothes, groceries, or even medications. If you are an introvert, you are probably having a great time. 

3. Fuel might be everyone’s circus, but it’s not everybody’s monkeys anymore

Every Lagosian always seem to have a lore connected to fuel. You’ve probably queued for it, fought a stranger over it, or watched it affect the cost of everything around you. It’s exactly this reason why it’s impossible not to notice that some riders aren’t dependent on petrol like you. 

4. An Okada finally gives your ears a break

If you are prone to sensory overload and live in Lagos, you probably have daily crash-outs dedicated to wondering about the reason for your existence. 

The unorganised transportation system, the touchy conductors, the fumes, the buses and okadas with engines that sound like they’re just two seconds away from croaking. So, the day an Okada passes by you without making any noise, you ask yourself if you hallucinated it, but no, you didn’t. Welcome to the New World. 

5. You see a battery provide what a fuel station usually does

You’re at the fuel station, fighting for your life (as usual), when you see a bike rider park nearby, and instead of joining the queue that was starting to get rowdy, they casually removed a battery from their bike, replaced it with another one, and rode off while you’ve barely moved an inch.

If you’re wondering what you just witnessed, it’s called battery swapping, and it’s already happening in Lagos. Spiro is an example of a company using it to keep electric motorcycles on the road without relying on petrol, giving riders a faster and easier way to get moving. 

But Spiro isn’t just making electric motorcycles. It’s building the infrastructure behind them, making it possible for riders to easily swap batteries in minutes instead of waiting in fuel queues (like you). 

That vision is attracting serious (chaching) backing too. Spiro has raised a total of US$270 million from investors to expand its electric mobility and battery-swapping infrastructure across Africa. We guess it’s safe to say that, like us, the rest of the world might be paying attention too. 

6. You finally understand why that bike is soooo quiet

The first time you get to ride one of these bikes, you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never does. The noise and the fumes you’re used to never come. It probably scares you at first because you’ve lived in Lagos all your life, and like a toxic ex, the city has not provided you with one single moment of peace and quiet, but guess what? That ends now. 

7. You begin to realise that Lagos is on another level 

Not only are we beginning to have everyday conveniences, but we are now living in a world where bikes can run on batteries rather than fuel. If someone had told you a few years ago that such motorcycles would exist in a city like Lagos, you would have probably laughed in their face. Yet here we are, watching Lagos evolve with the times (as it should). 

The big story here isn’t the motorcycles, even though they’re pretty awesome. It’s the system behind them. Spiro is creating systems that could shape the future of mobility across African cities, finally making it possible for people to move around without constantly relying on petrol. 

The future isn’t in a strange land, expecting us with open arms. It’s already finding its roots here, and years from now, we are going to look back on the fact that we were watching the beginning of something much, much bigger than quieter motorcycles.