By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
The city of Lagos and its citizens are a lot more similar than many would admit. For one, the weather is as unpredictable as the people. The morning of the 26th of April was depressing as the skies rained themselves dry. A flooded Lagos is an existential nightmare, but to our surprise, it cleared up faster, and the heat returned. In the thick of the heat, girls marched to Muri Okunola Park for the ultimate girls’ day out event, HERtitude 2025.
THE ALLURE OF HERTITUDE:
Young adult events in Lagos operate on a Dungeons & Dragons alignment chart; there are lawful ones, neutral ones, and chaotic ones. HERtitude unwillingly finds itself under chaotic good because while it creates a safe and fun space for women to relive their childhoods, it challenges the status quo. This even results in yearly outcries for HIMtitude… chaotic but hilarious.
HERtitude is an annual women-only festival in Nigeria organised by Zikoko, a popular media company focused on Nigerian youth culture. Editor-in-chief of Zikoko, Ruth Zakari, mentioned that the motive was to have a place for women to have a good time and find community. It’s designed as a vibrant and safe space for women to connect, celebrate womanhood, and enjoy music, fashion, and entertainment. The festival aims to create an empowering atmosphere where attendees can let loose, feel seen, and build community.
The first edition of HERtitude took place in May 2022. It was met with positive reception, highlighting the need and desire for such women-centric events in Nigeria. Following its initial success, HERtitude became an annual affair, with subsequent editions held in May 2023 (themed “Keep being the hot girl that you are”) and April 2024, which included a women’s leadership session. The most recent, HERtitude 2025, with a “Retro Glam” theme, was held on April 26th, 2025. Over its relatively short history, HERtitude has quickly become a significant event in Nigeria’s social calendar, offering a unique and celebrated space dedicated to women.
HERtitude’s story is unique, but the cardinal sin of Lagos events is not generic; it is boring. Chaotic evil and lawful evil are acceptable; quite frankly, a Lagos event can have its stage collapse on its audience and guarantee itself a sold-out concert the next year. Something must kill a man, and a Central Cee performance is not the worst last stop.
But HERtitude has managed to keep the guests returning, and having women-only is not enough to entertain. So, what were the best parts of HERtitude 2025?
THE MOST FUN WAS HAD ON STAGE:
HERtitude had three major stage segments: the concert, the panels, and the heavenly contests. Oh, and the annual fashion show, which is really just a covert dance challenge. This year’s edition raised the stakes, with the winner taking home a cash sum of 350,000 naira—250,000 from the sponsors, Nivea, and 100,000 from Zikoko, along with a 100,000 voucher from Bloomswomenswear.
In a golden two-piece, Roselene, winner of the fashion show, wowed the crowds with her dance moves. As a watcher and participant, I quickly learned that ladies love ass as much as men do. Every contestant who delivered a few twerks swiftly moved to the next round, and in the end, the best dancer won. Roselene’s win was unanimous, as the crowd erupted whenever she got on. For Roselene, this experience was thrilling; she explains, “I was so excited, especially since I was hesitant about joining ‘cause I thought I came late, it took someone encouraging me to join for me to gather the courage to actually climb that stage.”
Being on the stage, the opportunity to interview the other contestants presented itself, and the first lesson learned was that everyone was acting on vibes. Not a single contestant recalled exactly what they had performed for the crowd, a lovely lady did the splits and asked, “I did that?”
The adrenaline burst through as they danced and cheered their fellow contestants. “The crowd is strict,” one said after seeing the contestant she had placed her bet on not make it to the finals. “They really like the femme girls this year,” another said, referencing HERtitude 2023, where a contestant stole their hearts in a durag, sunshades, and a pair of jeans.
The fashion show’s relationship with the audience mirrors that of an 80s rockstar, where the ladies clamour to touch and connect with the performer. From their screams, you have an idea who is going to win, and Roselene owned the crowd till the end. However, she was not the only one on the stage who had the crowd go wild.
THE PERFORMANCES:
HERtitude 2025 had a few performers, including BLNDE, singer of the hit track, Omo To Sexy. BLNDE’s track skyrocketed into mainstream with its catchy chorus and the TikTok trend that accompanied it. Since its official release, it has become a party girl anthem. At HERtitude 2025, BLNDE took the opportunity to introduce a new unreleased song, which she wrote amid heartbreak.
An exclusive is fine, but nothing matched the crowd’s reception the moment the signature intro of Omo To Sexy was played. The crowd so excited that when the backtrack malfunctioned, there were boos. Some of the boos came from BLNDE herself who asked the DJ to run the beat from the top again.
Without backup dancers or hype men, BLNDE managed to entertain the audience. She danced, sang, and quasi-rapped. Occasionally, she played the role of a hype man, asking the crowd if anyone knew the words by heart. It was a fascinating watch to have someone dexterously take on all these positions, but this was BLNDE’s first headline, and she did not mess it up.
After BLNDE walked off the stage, the DJ stepped in, and DJ Kiss had the party turn into a rave. From the 2000s Afrobeats jams to the hip-hop blended with pop sounds of the 2010s. It was 11 pm, and guests started climbing the stages to dance around the DJ booth.
THE PHOTOBOOTH:
HERtitude 2025’s theme was retro, and with the slew of women in Iro and Bubas, the message was understood. On Zikoko’s part, the venue was designed with designated photo areas that transported attendees to the 90s. These make for stellar pictures, and Nigerian restaurants will be the first to tell you that a photoworthy area guarantees guests.
The games and activities, a bouncing castle and limbo set, were equally set up to incite nostalgic feelings. In a city as dynamic and multifaceted as Lagos, HERtitude stood out for its playfulness and exclusion from judgement.
The laughter, the performances, and the shared experiences communicate female solidarity, proving that even in the sweltering heat of Lagos, girls just want to have fun.
