Retro series: see amazing old photos of Nigerians carrying loads on their heads

In this Naij.com retro series, we explore the old practice of using the head to transport good in Nigeria and how far it has come.

The act of carrying things around on the head either as a method of selling goods or transporting items might be thinning in modern Nigeria but the practice has come a long way.

In the days before vehicles became commonplace, it was normal for people to transport their farm produce from the farm to their homes and to the market.

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With vehicles now commonplace, people transferred their goods with cars and buses.

This however did not kill the function of the head as a means of carrying goods. Hawking which is a common practise in Lagos requires balancing the goods on the head and going in search of consumers.

These people need their goods to be conspicuous and in their case, they have to seek the consumers.

Selling using this method is effective as the seller cannot afford to use a car and speed away before customers have the chance to call them. Instead, it is necessary to move at a slow pace and call out to customers so those within ear shots can hear the call.

The practise of using the head to transport goods transcends the sexes. It also transcends age and some people have mastered the act so well there is almost no size or shape of items they can’t balance on their heads.

Another advantage is that it’s easier to see the goods on top of the hawker than if it is carried on the arm. Whatever the reasons, the head has served a purpose that Nigerians have come to identify with.

The pictures below credited to Alfred Eisenstaedt capture the practice of using the head as a means of transporting and selling goods.

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