Nigeria Content Online

The first thing
that will catch your attention when you walk into The Life House at
Victoria Island, Lagos, is the creativity it exudes. The serene and
peaceful air of the grounds complement its delicately-designed interior
and tasteful furnishings, which feature cosy chairs, well-polished
cabinets and floors.

Inside, several
elements tie together to remind you why this place got its name. From a
cafe that serves healthy food and drinks to a fitness centre for yoga
and pilates training to a boutique that sells clothes, accessories and
books, The Life House offers a wide variety of activities for the
well-being of body and soul.

Ugoma Adegoke is
the brain behind The Life House and is responsible for its interior
decoration. With a BSc in Economics from the University of Ibadan and a
master’s degree also in Economics from the University of Manchester,
Adegoke pursued a career in finance until she dropped it two years ago
for her interest in lifestyle.

“I had other interests which of course stole me away,” she says.

She believes
strongly in making people happy and says one way to do this is to reach
out through The Life House. The 32-year-old, who hails from Abia State
and is married to an Ondo State indigene, maintains that she only
manages The Life House. She insists that the place belongs to her, her
husband Dayo Adegoke, and the community.

According to her,
the opening of The Life House in January 2010 was motivated by her zest
for life and “the desire to live it fully.” She maintains that the
forces behind The Life House are life and community, therefore, it
regularly holds activities which promote culture and community living,
like film screenings, book readings and concerts.

Gift to Community

Most activities at The Life House, such as the film screenings and book readings, are open to the public and free.

“We can offer these
films for free as a gift to our community,” Adegoke says. “We have the
equipment, we have the space and people are happy when they come here,
so why not?”

With free events,
The Life House relies on guests who patronise its cafe and boutique to
cover any associated costs. . However, Ugoma says the establishment
will begin charging customers a small fee to attend its mini-concerts,
which are currently free, to help pay for the attending band.

Adegoke is excited
about the establishment’s newly-commenced collaboration with the Lagos
branch of Alliance Francaise, a global French language institution,
which has meant that The Life House can now add French films to its
lineup of screenings. She explains enthusiastically that the
partnership is part of efforts to regularly engage the community in its
activities.

“The collaboration
between Alliance Francaise and the Life House is primarily about but
not limited to film,” she states. “There are other good things we will
do together in the future but this is the first.”

The Life House
hopes, through this collaboration, to be able to sponsor musical
events, dances and any other culturally-viable events which will
promote cultural exchange between residents of the city.

Adegoke is equally
passionate about literature, an interest which led her to establish the
Abule Book Club – a meeting point for Lagos’ literati to discuss books
and interact with authors, who are sometimes invited to give book
readings. The club meets on a monthly basis.

Fela in the Life House

To pay homage to
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and usher in the highly anticipated Broadway
musical Fela! onto the Lagos stage, The Life House has organised a week
of events celebrating the Afrobeat legend, from April 19 to 24.

“We decided to just
dedicate a week to welcoming Fela! on Broadway to Nigeria,” Adegoke
says. “‘Fela in The Life House’ will feature various tributes and
accolades on Fela. We are re-enacting our own Fela tribute.”

The line up for the week includes poetry and book readings, art and dance, all of which will in some way pay homage to Fela.

An art exhibition,
‘Art of Rebellion’, will kick off the week’s activities on Tuesday,
April 19, and will run through the end of the month. Works by Lemi
Ghariokwu and Weyinmi Atigbi – passionate Afrobeat devotees and graphic
artists heavily influenced by Fela – will be displayed during the
exhibition, which will be curated by Victor Ehikhamenor.

“We are big lovers
of Fela here,” Adegoke says, delightedly. ‘Fela in The Life House’ is
also a way for The Life House family to show their love for the late
musician.”

Fashioning interiors

In addition to
running The Life House, Adegoke is pursuing a career in interior and
fashion design under the brand name Zebra. Her love for lifestyle has
been a motivating factor for engaging in the art of beautifying people
and her environment.

“This is what I do.
I do interiors. I did this chair you’re sitting in,” she says to me
with satisfaction, indicating a simple yet classy chair with a mix of
fitting colours.

She finds
motivation for her work in the beauty of her pieces, as much as the
happiness of others. “It’s a wonderful thing making people happy,” she
says. “You always have moments when you say, ‘Wow! This is beautiful.’”

While there are positives aplenty, there are also some downsides to running The Life House.

“The cost of
running a business in Lagos with near-zero electricity is a challenge,”
she says. She also says she encounters some difficultly when she has to
explain to people what The Life House is about.

“Getting through to
people with a concept like this, which of course is quite daunting, is
a challenge,” she admits. However, she is quick to add that educating
people comes with its own rewards.

The designer attributes the success of The Life House to principles
of hard work and confidence. “Honestly, I’ll say it’s a combination of
hard work and love for family: my immediate family, my husband, and the
confidence to dare to try something,” she says.