Lagos is the most popular city in Nigeria
, the largest country in Africa. The metropolitan area, an estimated 300 square kilometers, is a group of islands endowed with creeks and a lagoon. More than 10m people live in this upper middle class capital.
Facts about Lagos Nigeria
Statistics has it that Lagos may be the third biggest city in Africa after Cairo in Egypt and Kinshasa in DR Congo as well as an believed quickest growing city in Africa. The initial settlers of Lagos, or Eko because it is known as through the indigenous population, were of Benin and Awori Eko heritage. The town started within the fifteenth century like a Portuguese buying and selling post conveying ivory, all kinds of peppers, and slaves. It subsequently fell in to the hands from the British, who started conveying food crops after suspending slavery in 1807. Although Nigeria acquired independence in 1960, a two-and-a-half year civil war started in 1967.
Following the war, migration towards the city, combined with huge waves of refugees and migrants using their company African countries, created a population boom which has ongoing to the current day.
Lagos may be the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, having a GNP triple those of every other West African country. Lagos has greatly achieved positive results from Nigeria’s natural assets in oil, gas, coal, fuel wood and water. Light industry was prevalent in post-independence Nigeria and oil-related industry centered within the 1970’s, directly affecting the rapid development of Lagos.
Tourist Attractions in Lagos
Lagos has become a metropolis which came from on islands separated by streams for example Lagos Island that fringe the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon protected against the Atlantic Sea by lengthy sand spits for example Bar Beach which stretch as much as 100 km east and west from the mouth.
Lagos Island contains a central business district. This district is characterized by high-rise buildings. The island also 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), and the Oba palace. Tinubu Square in the island is a former site and symbol of unity of North and South Nigeria as a protectorate in 1914.
Ikoyi
is situated on the eastern half of
Lagos Island
and joined to it by a landfill. Ikoyi is also connected to
Victoria Island
by a bridge carrying a main road over a Five Cowrie creek. Ikoyi housed the headquarter of the federal government of Nigeria and other buildings owned by the government -including the old federal secretariat complex. On the other side, Victoria Island is home to the luxury, upper class real estate properties, apartments, hotels and condominiums.
When to visit
The city is endowed with favorable weather like much of South Nigeria. There are two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November. There is a brief relatively dry spell in August and September and a longer dry season from December to March. The dry season starts in December up to February
Getting Around
Flights into Lagos Nigeria are handled at
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
, one of the largest terminals in Africa. Many of West Africa’s flights have stop at this airport en-route. As a busy airport, Lagos airport receives more than 400 flights a week with direct Nigeria flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and London.
Lagos has one of the largest and most extensive road networks in West Africa. Lagos has suburban terrains and has some ferry services. Highways are usually congested in peak hours, due in part to the geography of the city, as well as to its explosive population growth. Lagos is also linked by many highways and bridges. A city tour is often on the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Abeokuta Expressway for the northern part. Visiting the west requires that you take the Lagos-Badagry highway.
Private hired boats run irregular passenger services on the lagoon and on some creeks for those tourists that would like to experience Nigeria’s ocean and Lagoons. Lagos State ferry has regular schedules for routes form the main island to other parts of the city.
Hotels and Accommodation
Lagos has a variety of hotels ranging from three star to five star hotels. Many of the luxury hotels and apartments are located on Victoria Island with many being world chain hotels. Some of the popular hotels include Welcome Centre Hotels, Sheraton Nigeria Hotel and Towers, Federal Palace Hotel, Stop Over Motels, Ikoyi Hotel, Sofitel Lagos Moorhouse Ikoyi, Eko Hotels And Suites, The AHI Residence and The Palm view Manor. You can book these hotels online for the cheapest Nigeria Hotel packages and also through Nigeria Tour Operators.
