Lagos

Lagos , or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwest <a href="/facts/Nigeria/gbW17BX8">Nigeria</a>. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent. Lagos was the national capital of <a href="/facts/Nigeria/gbW17BX8">Nigeria</a> until the <a href="/facts/Government_of_Nigeria/kkr7I5tI">government</a>'s December 1991 decision to move their capital to <a href="/facts/Abuja/BTHTlNI1">Abuja</a> in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African <a href="/facts/Financial_center/aGWvLxWC">financial centre</a> and is the economic hub of <a href="/facts/Lagos_State/Ad2QEKeT">Lagos State</a> and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on <a href="/facts/Commerce/SL9xueYJ">commerce</a>, <a href="/facts/Entertainment/XXRnLM62">entertainment</a>, <a href="/facts/Technology/9Uav5WVR">technology</a>, <a href="/facts/Education/WIwsQKF9">education</a>, <a href="/facts/Politics/1gDNy3RP">politics</a>, <a href="/facts/Tourism/x47vNhHj">tourism</a>, <a href="/facts/Art/ILbnQHHb">art</a>, and <a href="/facts/Fashion/WbR38tGI">fashion</a> in <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a>. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and <a href="/facts/Urban_area/fu9v8h5P">urban</a> areas. In 2024, <a href="/facts/Time_Out_(magazine)/bfIH4JS1">Time Out magazine</a> ranked Lagos as the 19th best city to visit in the world. A <a href="/facts/Megacity/8GFoJVeL">megacity</a>, it has the second-highest <a href="/facts/Gross_domestic_product/zQRgyFKc">GDP</a> in Africa, and houses one of the <a href="/facts/Apapa/mvoxfCdr">largest and busiest seaports</a> on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.
Lagos emerged as a home to the <a href="/facts/Awori_tribe/gxaAV6br">Awori</a> subgroup of the <a href="/facts/Yoruba_people/x8tcApLL">Yoruba</a> of <a href="/facts/West_Africa/oV8Dk0kp">West Africa</a> in the 15th century, which are contained in the present-day Local Government Areas (<a href="/facts/List_of_Lagos_State_local_government_areas_by_population/pTdBC0YT">LGAs</a>) of <a href="/facts/Lagos_Island/8SvgeRze">Lagos Island</a>, <a href="/facts/Eti-Osa/gcDR3P5U">Eti-Osa</a>, <a href="/facts/Amuwo-Odofin/Ay5PQk4j">Amuwo-Odofin</a> and <a href="/facts/Apapa/mvoxfCdr">Apapa</a>. Before the 15th century, the Awori settled on a Farmstead along the coastal line in and around which they worked and lived. The Farmstead translates to Ereko in Yoruba, from which comes the Lagos indigenous name "Eko". The lands are separated by creeks, fringing the southwest mouth of <a href="/facts/Lagos_Lagoon/MIKg2x7s">Lagos Lagoon</a>, while being protected from the Atlantic Ocean by <a href="/facts/Barrier_island/7tA4Qejz">barrier islands</a> and long sand spits such as <a href="/facts/Bar_Beach,_Lagos/hay0HLsK">Bar Beach</a>, which stretch up to 100 km (62 mi) east and west of the mouth. Due to rapid urbanisation, the city expanded to the west of the lagoon to include areas in the present day <a href="/facts/Lagos_Mainland/YyWt3Dx8">Lagos Mainland</a>, <a href="/facts/Ajeromi-Ifelodun/t9A8B9yH">Ajeromi-Ifelodun</a>, and <a href="/facts/Surulere/zlLnnX5L">Surulere</a>. This led to the classification of Lagos into two main areas: the Island, which was the original city of Lagos, and the Mainland, which it has since expanded into. This city area was governed directly by the Federal Government through the Lagos City Council, until the creation of Lagos State in 1967, which led to the splitting of Lagos city into the present-day seven <a href="/facts/List_of_Lagos_State_local_government_areas_by_population/pTdBC0YT">Local Government Areas</a> (LGAs), and an addition of other towns (which now make up 13 LGAs) from the then <a href="/facts/Western_Region,_Nigeria/pNd65kH7">Western Region</a> to form the state.
However, the state capital was later moved to <a href="/facts/Ikeja/9coJ1JY1">Ikeja</a> in 1976, and the federal capital moved to <a href="/facts/Abuja/BTHTlNI1">Abuja</a> in 1991. Even though Lagos is still widely referred to as a city, the present-day Lagos, also known as "Metropolitan Lagos", and officially as "Lagos Metropolitan Area" is an <a href="/facts/Urban_agglomeration/fu9v8h5P">urban agglomeration</a> or <a href="/facts/Conurbation/4deBIPSV">conurbation</a>, consisting of 16 LGAs including Ikeja, the state capital of Lagos State. This conurbation makes up 37% of Lagos State total land area, but houses about 85% of the state's total population.
The population of Metropolitan Lagos is disputed. In the 2006 federal census data, the conurbation had a population of about 9 million people. However, the figure was disputed by the <a href="/facts/Lagos_State_Government/nhkbXo7C">Lagos State Government</a>, which later released its own population data, putting the population of <a href="/facts/Lagos_Metropolitan_Area_Transport_Authority/p32xupfW">Lagos Metropolitan Area</a> at approximately 16 million. Daily, the Lagos area is growing by some 3,000 people or around 1.1 million annually, so the true population figure of the greater Lagos area in 2022 is roughly 28 million (up from some 23.5 million in 2018). Lagos may therefore have overtaken <a href="/facts/Kinshasa/REHVNkdc">Kinshasa</a> as Africa's most populous city. As of 2015, unofficial figures put the population of "Greater Metropolitan Lagos", which includes Lagos and its surrounding metro area, extending as far as into <a href="/facts/Ogun_State/AMjj3k8u">Ogun State</a>, at approximately 21 million. The Lagos conurbation is part of an emerging transnational <a href="/facts/Megalopolis/HelXyTPe">megalopolis</a> on the coast of West Africa that includes areas in five <a href="/facts/Sovereign_state/TrUb8sns">sovereign states</a>, the <a href="/facts/Abidjan%E2%80%93Lagos_Corridor/vJRRhknh">Abidjan–Lagos Corridor</a>.
The <a href="/facts/University_of_Lagos/QBkoUGQK">University of Lagos</a> is one of the <a href="/facts/Education_in_Nigeria/smJM5PqJ">first generation universities</a> of Nigeria. The business district of Lagos is home to <a href="/facts/Tinubu_Square/AazelRdW">Tinubu Square</a>, named after the aristocratic slave trader <a href="/facts/Efunroye_Tinubu/KrD3hHSl">Efunroye Tinubu</a>. Lagos contains <a href="/facts/Murtala_Muhammed_International_Airport/SCYK3PtC">Murtala Muhammed International Airport</a>, named after <a href="/facts/Murtala_Muhammad/lyuooU7L">Murtala Muhammad</a>, one of the former Nigerian presidents; the airport is one of the busiest African airports. <a href="/facts/National_Stadium,_Lagos/P3Sg36WB">Lagos National Stadium</a> has hosted various international sports events such as the <a href="/facts/1980_African_Cup_of_Nations/rCPL6Wud">1980 African Cup of Nations</a>.

Lagos open-in-new

Lagos