City exposures: Lagos – in pictures

'"Okada" is the common name for motorcycle taxis which keep people moving in this megacity. Okadas have been in a lot of controversy lately and the government is trying to ban them but they are so crucial to the life in Lagos, many think they can never be banned' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Almost all my pictures of Nigeria have been taken from a moving car due to safety reasons, with a 35mm lens, including this one' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

Digital Foto Studio. 'When I arrived in Lagos almost 10 months ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. Moving to Nigeria was very random and I let the country surprise me. To this day, I must say that it has been quite an adventure. I started to capture the busy local markets, colourful people, street art, graphic signs and the Lagos hustle. In this process, I discovered Lagos and the "never say never" spirit of the city. I started a Lagos photoblog titled Snap It Oga! which means "take a picture sir" in the local language. This blog has received an overwhelming response from both locals and Nigerians living abroad' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Because it is a very young country you will see lot of kids here and because both parents are hustling, siblings have to look after each other' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Bar Beach is popular in Lagos, it's crowded in the evenings but I got this shot in the quiet lull of the morning' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

A grocery-store boat in Makoko – a slum in the city. 'When I first started taking pictures here in Lagos, the sentiment was negative, for a foreigner to be out on streets taking pictures of people was almost prohibited. Because of that my initial months were camera-less, but I gradually got over these hurdles. Now I take my camera whereever I go' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'If Lagos had a colour it would almost certainly be yellow. The colour says a lot about the happy-go-lucky people and their spirit' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Lagos as a city is so full of energy, the streets are buzzing with life from as early as 5am to 11 at night, with no breaks' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'I loved the kettle he is using to "water" his car' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Makoko is a slum neighborhood in Lagos with an estimated population of around 90,000. Established primarily as a fishing village, much of Makoko rests in structures constructed on stilts above Lagos lagoon. It was a humbling experience to be there' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Many of the residents of Makoko travel by boat between the houses built on stilts in the water. Lagos is a city always on the move and the "Lagos hustle" is a popular term for this' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'The Lagos hustle is what feeds my lens and soul' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'On 29 May, Nigerians mark Democracy Day, commemorating the formal end to military rule in the country and the enthronement of civil rule in 1999' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Ogudu market. Everyone here is busy in some kind of trade, Lagos is the trade headquarters for the region. It has severe traffic issues and in traffic jams hawkers will sell you water, phone chargers, calculators, household stuff, beef rolls, watches, phones and even pets' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!

'Children's Day in Lagos' Photograph: Devesh Uba/Snap It Oga!