Joy Elias-Rilwan

b. 1954

Born: 15 Jun 1954, Nigeria
Country of birth: Nigeria

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

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Birth15 Jun 1954, NigeriaProbable1 source

A life in time

15 Jun 1954
Born · Nigeria
Birth, Nigeria

What was it like?

The world around Nigeria, 1954: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Joy was born the same year as Hugo Chávez, Jackie Chan, and Oprah Winfrey.

Born the same year

Hugo Chávez
president of Venezuela (1999–2013); revolutionary and military officer
Jackie Chan
Hong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1954)
Oprah Winfrey
American talk show host, actress, producer, and author (born 1954)
Sócrates
Brazilian association football player (1954–2011)
Angela Merkel
chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 (born 1954)
François Hollande
President of France from 2012 to 2017 (born 1954)

Fashion

Aso-ebi originated as mourning uniforms

Aso-ebi, the practice of family members wearing matching fabrics at events, emerged in Lagos in the 1920s and was specifically used as a uniform mourning outfit to show respect for the dead.

Market women used a money-carrying sash

Market women frequently used a sash known as an opoo as part of their attire, which functioned as a secure place to carry coins and bills while working.

Music

Highlife bands used stage signboards

Highlife bands in the 1950s performed with name signboards on stage, reflecting the influence of American and British ballroom orchestras.

Highlife dance and song duration

In the 1950s and 1960s, highlife dance performances often featured songs lasting about 10 minutes, with people of all ages dancing at the front of the stage.

Getting around

Bicycle taxis and walking in rural Nigeria

In the 1950s, people traveling to hospitals often used "cyclists" who operated their bicycles as taxis. Because roads were unpaved, passengers frequently had to walk half the journey while the cyclist carried the bike over rough terrain.

Rail travel speed and status in Nigeria

By 1960, express trains significantly reduced travel time across Nigeria, with a journey from Lagos to Kano taking approximately 29 hours. Passengers were divided by status, with Nigerians primarily utilizing third-class carriages.

Daily life

Feeding a crowd for ten dollars

In 1971, a birthday celebration for a child in a compound, including rice and beef for a large crowd of children, cost only 10 dollars.

Free primary education policy

Starting in 1955, Western Nigeria introduced free universal primary education, allowing children aged five and older to attend school without paying tuition fees.

Food

Around 1960–1962

Diverse and unique market offerings

Everyday market food included diverse items such as large live snails, fried caterpillars, dried rats, and red kola nuts.

Staple foods and imported luxury items

While many families relied on pounded yam, cassava, and palm oil-based soups, items like bread, sardines, and evaporated milk were considered prestigious imported foods for the urban middle class.

Prices and wages

Around 1950–1950

Daily wages for labor in 1950

In 1950, the Nigerian Government increased the daily wage for general labor in Lagos to between 2 shillings 3 pence and 2 shillings 7 pence.

Around 1960–1960

Bread sizes and prices in the 1960s

In the 1960s, Nigerians bought bread in three main loaf sizes: a 4-ounce loaf for threepence, an 8-ounce loaf for sixpence, and a 16-ounce loaf for one shilling.

Work

Around 1950–1950

Peasant farming was the primary occupation

The vast majority of Nigerians were peasant farmers working for themselves, while the largest employers of wage labor were the government, tin mines, and coal collieries.

Around 1950–1950

Standard work week hours varied by job

Standard working hours in 1950 ranged from 34 hours per week for clerical workers to 45 hours for industrial and technical staff.

News and letters

Around 1958–1958

Canoe-based mail delivery in the Delta

In the Niger Delta region where roads were scarce, postal officers relied on canoes to travel between scattered villages, often spending ten days to three weeks on inspection trips.

Around 1958–1958

Prioritizing important mail via air transport

To manage long-distance mail, authorities prioritized important letters using air transport; a letter posted in Lagos by 11 p.m. could reach Kano or Calabar by 1 p.m. the following afternoon.

During their lifetime

1959
First Television Broadcast in Africa
In October 1959, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) began broadcasting, making it the first television station in Africa.
1967
The Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War occurred from 1967 to 1970, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3 million people, largely due to starvation.
1970
The 1970s Oil Boom and Migration
During the 1970s, a massive oil boom increased national revenue and spurred significant rural-to-urban migration, changing Nigeria's demographic landscape.
1986
Implementation of Structural Adjustment Program
In June 1986, Nigeria officially instituted a Structural Adjustment Programme, which led to currency devaluation and severe economic hardships for many citizens.

Family

Spouses

James Lascellesb. 1953Confirmed