Wristbands attached and meal tickets claimed! In August of 2023, a sunny Sunday, motorcycle enthusiasts around Lagos pulled up at Muri Okunola Park at Ozumba Mbadiwe Road for adrenaline-pumping Jollof and Palmie 5.0.
The event?
A festival now conceptualized by the President of B.A.D (Bikers with Attitude and Determination), Kayode Kosile-Palmer, saw motorcyclists across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa travel down to showcase their fancy bikes to a new and growing audience of two-wheeler aficionados.
It was such a moment! It’s always a moment.
On this day, I arrived at the venue alongside my friend Leonard. We’ve gone on adventures like art gallery hopping but this was our first motorsports rodeo.
As one of the perks of attending early, we both received a free meal ticket consisting of spicy Jollof rice and sour Palm wine, both Afrocentric delicacies with the former being popular in West African culinary debates.
Top 3 Reasons to Love Jollof and Palmie 5.0
#1. Pop-Up Market and Things
The location was supercharged with bikes above the 200cc range, but besides the bike-centric exhibition, you would appreciate the side attractions such as food kiosks, clothing lines, and art galleries.
I mean, there was so much to do in Muri Okunola Park!
As the motorcycles revved on entry, fresh aroma of grilled meat and burning metal from double exhausts filled the air.
And for the wealthier folks, few cars and bikes were put up for sale. I casually engaged in small talk with a Mercedes Benz E-class owner who used car drifting as a pastime. He showed me clips of his skid marks around Lekki and I asked questions about his combustion engine.
#2. Fostering Community Engagement
Jollof and Palmie is an annual event curated by the B.A.D Gang – an active biking community in Nigeria and every single year, new members are inducted into the group on the grand stage; male and female, young and old.
Asides from the eventful induction, attendees played Raffle Draws and games such as; Chess, Jenga, Table Tennis, Ludo, and Tic-tac-toe.
New friends were made.
Occasionally, the MC gave instructions on using the hashtags. Content creators also converged as well as celebrities, yes. I saw Charlie Boy, Ayo The Creator, and Kaffy at the event and every corner was a photo prop.
Again, the group had medical services at the venue. You could donate blood if you wanted, and test for sugar levels, BP, amongst others.
Lastly, few bikers allowed participants snag photos on their machines.
#3. Exotic Two-Wheelers to Die For?
After over 20 years of life, I got to witness the most diverse collection of motorcycles in one place. And in Lagos? I was blown away! Each time I thought I’d seen the best bike a fresher one pulled up.
Dopamine-inducing, I tell ya.
Thankfully, I met another friend Ade who was way knowledgeable about motorcycles than myself. He told me facts about their power, types, weaknesses, transmission, and more.
One of our focal discussions was a chopper with a “propeller shaft transmission” (photo above), the kind you see in oil tankers.
Again, I had my lady friends Natty and Goody Bag come around so it was all the merrier! We caught up, bantered, and snagged more photos with the delicate motorcycles.
Snap!!!
There was a consistent jingle about not leaning on any bike or climbing without permission from owners.
Felt annoying at some point even, but I understand.
Conclusively, Motorcycle Rallies are Brewing in Nigeria and Lagos Takes the Charge
As a petrol head, my ears and other senses experience a climatic feeling when I hear thunderous revs. Besides the attention-seeking bikers, it’s also fantastic that members of core car drifting societies came to support.
Like I mentioned, Jollof and Palmie is a yearly occurrence and it’s usually FREE. If you live in Lagos and want to experience the pinnacle of motorcycling, try to check out @badgang_ng on Instagram for regular updates.
QUESTION: Have you ever been to a motorcycle exhibition? How did it feel?
Until I write again, don’t forget to cop your leather jacket and step on your kick starter!
ERICOTRIPS 
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