Transportation Directory - Lagos Nigeria

Description: Lagos or Lagos City is the most populous city in Nigeria, with an estimated population of 21 million in 2015. Lagos is the most populous urban area in Africa. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 following the government’s decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country.

Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world’s fastest-growing cities and urban areas.

The megacity has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.

Population: 21,000,000

Demographics: The Yoruba are the dominant ethnic group. There are more than 250 ethnic groups represented in Lagos, however, including the Hausa, Igbo, and Fulani. Small minorities of American, British, East Indian, Chinese, white Zimbabwean, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese and Japanese are also present in the city.

History: Lagos was formerly the capital city of Nigeria, but it has since been replaced by Abuja. Abuja officially became the capital of Nigeria on 12 December 1991, although the decision to move the federal capital had been made in now Act no. 6 of 1976. Lagos is also home to the High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary, housed in an old colonial building on Lagos Island. In terms of administration, Lagos is not a single municipality and therefore has no overall city administration. The mainland beyond the Municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, included several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege.

In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming the present-day “Lagos Metropolitan Area”, also known as “Metropolitan Lagos”. The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the LGAs that display the unique identities of the cultures that created them.

By 2006, the metro area around Lagos had extended beyond Lagos State’s boundaries and attained a megacity status. This much larger area is referred to as “Greater Metropolitan Lagos” or “Lagos Megacity Region”, which is a continuously built-up land area of an additional 1,535.4 square kilometres (592.8 square miles), in LGAs situated next to Lagos’s eastern and western city limits in Lagos State, and also beyond its northern limits, spilling into some LGAs in adjoining Ogun State. Ogun State LGAs that have become part of Greater Metropolitan Lagos include Obafemi Owode, Sagamu, Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota and part of Ewekoro. Today, the word Lagos most often refers to the urban area, called “Metropolitan Lagos” in Nigeria, which includes both the islands of the former municipality of Lagos and the mainland suburbs. Lagos State government is responsible for some of the utilities including roads and transportation, power, water, health, and education.

Metropolitan Lagos extends over 16 of the 20 LGAs of Lagos State and contains about 85% of the population of Lagos State, including some semi-rural areas. Lagos has a considerable number of high-rise buildings that dominate its skyline. Most of the tall buildings are located in the downtown Central Business District.

Elevation: 41 m

Climate: Tropical savanna climate. Average annual temperature in Lagos is 17 C (62 F), the average for July is 11 C (52 F), the average for January is 26 C (77 F).

Attractions: Lekki Conservative Centre, Nike Centre For Arts And Culture, Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Freedom Park Lagos, Tarkwa Bay Beach, Ikeja City Mall, Black Heritage Museum

Airports: Murtala Muhammed International Airport LOS,

Distance To City Centre: 25 km

Commute Length: 45 min

Average Transportation Cost: 55 USD

Traffic Hours: 6:30 am – 9:30 am, 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm