Paper short abstract:

The study examines motors parks in Ibadan as sites for cultural production, showing that motor parks produce sub-cultural spaces with their own language, norms and values. These spaces, it suggests, serve as important sites for understanding agency and subjectivity in Africa.

Paper long abstract:

Existing studies on bus stations, known as motor parks in Nigeria, have dwelt on their economic importance and political relevance but very little attention has been focused on them as sites for the production of culture. This study examines the motor park as a space for cultural production with its own language, norms and values. Three motor parks in Ibadan metropolis were selected based on their size and volume of activities. Qualitative data were drawn from focus group discussions, key informant interviews and participant observation. The study reveals that there are five distinct but interrelated sub-cultural spaces around the motor parks which define their cultural inclinations. Motor park leaders also exude self-confidence that draws women and patronage from political elites both of which encourage space appropriation and naked power display with effects on perceived culture. The study concludes that the motor park space in Ibadan offers insights into how bus stations serve as important site for understanding agency and subjectivity in the context of cultural production in Africa.