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Most populous city in Nigeria
Photo: Photograph by Benji Robertson, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lagos (Yoruba: Èkó) is the most populous city in Nigeria, spreading out across two main islands and onto the mainland. It is the country's financial capital, and is famous throughout Africa for its music scene. Lagos has a vibrant nightlife. It is the centre of the Nigerian movie industry, often referred to as 'Nollywood'.
Containing a CBD, Lagos Island is often characterised by high-rise buildings and businesses and contains many of the city's largest wholesale marketplaces (such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets). It also has the National Museum of Nigeria, a Central mosque, Glover Memorial Hall, Christ's Cathedral (CMS), as well as the Oba Palace. There is also Tinubu Square. The few historic quarters that remain in Lagos are clustered around this square and in the nearby Campos district.
Containing most of the east of Lagos, best known for Victoria Island – home to many company headquarters, entertainment spots and several sizeable shopping districts. On the seashore along the Atlantic front, there is an environmentally reconstructed Bar Beach. Ikoyi has a great number of hotels, night clubs, a recreational park and one of Africa's largest golf courses. It is a fashionable residential enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class.
Amuwo-Odofin is a community of 1.5 million people (2006) in Lagos City. It includes Festac Town a federal housing estate named after the Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture that was held there in 1977, and Satellite Town, a suburb and state housing estate that was set up by the Lagos state government in 1960 to support and help government workers become land and house owners.
"Lagos Mainland" is the official name of a district which forms only a small part of the mainland. Surulere contains two stadiums and the national theatre.
Contains Yaba (location of the University of Lagos)
Ikeja is the site of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and capital of Lagos State.
Alimosho is a local government area in Lagos City, South West Nigeria. It is the largest local government in Lagos in terms of population.
Ojo is a town in Lagos, Nigeria. It is a part of the Lagos Metropolitan Area.
The ubiquitous Mr Bigg's is Nigeria's version of McDonald's. While western fare such as hamburgers is served, Nigerian delicacies such as jollof rice and moin moin are more popular. Look for the big 'B' with a red and yellow colour scheme - you shouldn't have much trouble finding one in Lagos
Another leading Nigerian fast food chain, Tantalizers serves Nigerian fast food staples such as meat pies, scotch eggs, chicken, jollof rice, fried rice, cake, and hamburgers. Has about 25 outlets in Lagos.
By train
Rail services in Nigeria have been slow and unreliable for decades.
Lagos Blue Line Rail
The Lagos Blue Line Rail is a 27 kilometers intra-city rail line that runs from Marina (Lagos Central Business District) to Okokomaiko, a suburb of Lagos.
By bus
Several bus companies like Agofure God Is Good Motors, ABC Transport, Ifesinachi and The Young Shall Grow offer daily services from almost all major cities around the country as well as international…
By bus
The Lagos's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a network of high-capacity buses that run on dedicated lanes along major corridors and thus run faster than private cars stuck in traffic.
By car
The road network of Lagos for the most part is good, but sometimes traffic congestion and limited parking space especially during working hours is rife.
By taxi
With the older taxi cabs you are expected to negotiate the price before you enter and pay on arrival. The cabs are relatively safe.
By motorbike taxi
For travelling short distances, you can use Okadas. These motorbikes are quick, cheap and save a lot of walking, but they are also very dangerous.
By rented car
Renting a car is another alternative if you are going to be staying for a few days or longer.
By ferry
Lagos Ferry Services Company runs scheduled routes between Lagos Island, Banana island, Mile 2 (Apapa axis) and the mainland.
By rail
The initial Blue Line of the long-awaited Lagos Rail Mass Transit opened in September 2023, connecting the Mainland to Marina on Lagos Island and cutting travel time for the 13-km journey to just 15…
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Articles and travel topics about Lagos City and Nigeria.
Food & drinkNigerian cuisine consists of dishes or food items from the hundreds of ethnic groups that comprise Nigeria from the north to the south to the east and the west. Nigeria is home to numerous varieties of foods.
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ItinerariesLagos-Ibadan Railway is a 157-kilometre rail trip in South West Nigeria from Ebute Metta in Lagos to Moniya in Ibadan. The trip is a section of the proposed Lagos to Kano Standard Gauge Rail Project.
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Travel tipsLasting from the 1500s to the 1800s, the Atlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity of extraordinary proportions, leaving a huge mark on four continents and irreversibly changing world history and geopolitics.
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Travel tipsDriving a car gives a traveller more independence and flexibility than scheduled transportation, such as air travel, rail travel, or bus travel, and may be faster or more comfortable than cycling.
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