Lakes

Lagos (in Yoruba, Èkó) is a port city located on the coast of Nigeria, in the state of the same name, of which it was the capital until 1976, on the coast of the Bay of Benin and in an archipelago off the mainland. With a population of 13,123,000 inhabitants (2015), it is the most populous city in the country and the second in Africa, behind Cairo (Egypt), it is also the second with the highest demographic growth on the African continent and the seventh in the world as well as the core of the second largest Metropolitan Area in Africa and the 24th largest in the world in terms of population.

Comprising the islands of Lagos (locally known as Eko), Ikoyi and Victoria Island, as well as part of the mainland, the municipality of Lagos was administered by the LCC (Lagos City Council). acronym in English), but it was dissolved in 1976 and divided into several AGLs (areas of local government). The territory beyond the municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, included several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege. Lagos was the former capital of the country until in 1991 it was moved to Abuja, located in the interior of the country.

Toponymy

The area occupied by the city was mainly a battlefield where men from the former Kingdom of Benin fought, who referred to it as Eko. The Yoruba ethnic group continues to refer to the city by that name. The current name of the city was given by the Portuguese traders who were the ones who established the first permanent settlement.

History

With the exploration of the west coast of Africa that was carried out by Portugal, there was a boom in the trade of spices, ivory and slaves and it was necessary to establish various trading posts on the continent. One of these ports was established by the conquistador Rui de Sequeira in 1472 on the island, and received the name Lake Curamo, which later, after a second expedition, would simply become "Lagos". The new settlement soon became the most important in the Portuguese country in Guinea. The city flourished under Portuguese rule and in 1861 it passed into British hands, thus becoming a British trading center in West Africa. Later, in 1900, Lagos was incorporated into the colony of Nigeria, also becoming its new capital.

View of a Lagos street.

The export of raw materials was a thriving colonial business, but the real growth of the city would originate during the buoyant decades of the 1960s and 70s. In this way, Lagos became a magnet for the poor people of West Africa. The uncontrolled influx of immigrants caused impoverished suburbs to spring up around the city, and the quality of life for typical Lagosans declined.

Despite the fact that the state of Lagos has the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, with more than 12 million inhabitants, in 1991, the Nigerian government decided to move the capital to Abuja, where in recent years they had been constructing administrative and government buildings. Abuja officially gained its status as the country's capital on December 12, 1991, although the decision to move the federal capital had been taken in Decree no. 6 of 1976.

Despite this change, the city continues to be the administrative and commercial center of the country and its area of influence extends outside the island of Lagos, which is connected to the mainland by three long bridges: the Eko, the Carter, and the Third Bridge. The islands of Ikoyi and Victoria are also part of its metropolitan area. Some demographic projections consider that the metropolis could become the second largest in the world in the year 2020, only behind Bombay, in India.

Geography

Map of the districts of Lagos

Mainland Lakes

The city of Lagos is located in south-western Nigeria, on the Atlantic coast in the Gulf of Guinea, west of the Niger River Delta, situated at longitude 3° 24' E and latitude 6° 27' N. In this section, the abundant rainfall of coastal West Africa and the rivers that flow into the sea form swampy lagoons such as the Lagos lagoon after long coastal sandbanks or sandbars. Some rivers, such as Badagry Creek, carry a flow parallel to the coast for some distance before finding an outlet through the shoals of the sea. The two main island cities of Lagos in the Lagos lagoon are Isla Victoria. These islands are separated from the mainland by the main drainage channel of the lagoon in the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Puerto. The islands are separated from each other by streams of different sizes and are connected to the Isla de Lagos by bridges. However, smaller sections of some sandy coves have been covered and built over.

Lagos Island (Lagos Island)

View of Lagos Island from the port entrance channel

Lagos Island contains many of the largest markets in Lagos, its central business district, the National Museum, Central Mosque, Glover Memorial Hall, Christ's Church Cathedral and the Oba's palace are located there. Although previously in a state of postponement, Tinubu Square, on Lagos Island, is a site of historical importance; it was here that the amalgamation ceremony that united the North and South of the protectorate to form Nigeria took place in 1914.

Ikoyi Island

Ikoyi Island is located in the eastern half of Lagos Island, and is where the seat of the federal government and all government buildings are located. It also has many hotels, and one of the largest golf courses in Africa. Originally a middle-class neighborhood, in recent years, it has become a fashionable upper-middle- and upper-middle-class residential enclave. Most of the population lives on the mainland, as well as most of the industries. Lagos is known for its music and nightlife which used to be around Yaba and Surulere, but in recent years more nightclubs have sprung up on the island, especially Victoria Island, becoming the main nightlife attractions. The mainland Lagos districts include Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (Lagos) (site of the University of Lagos), Mushin, Maryland, Isolo, Ikotun, Ipaja, Ejigbo and Ikeja (site of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and capital of the State of lakes).

Sara Island

Sara Island and Rosa Island are located to the south of Lagos Island. They have some of the most expensive real estate properties in Africa, many luxury condos and apartments are springing up everywhere. Along with Ikoyi, Victoria Island occupies a significant area in the suburbs of Lagos, which boasts of several sizable shopping districts (including Nigeria's largest shopping mall and cinema) and several fashionable beaches. Across the main lagoon channel from Lagos Island, a small island called Iddo Island is situated close to the mainland, and is now connected to the mainland as a peninsula. Three major bridges link Lagos Island to the mainland: Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge, which start from Iddo Island and the Third Mainland Bridge, which passes through the densely populated mainland suburbs across the Lagos Lagoon.

Climate

The climate of Lagos is similar to the rest of southern Nigeria. There are two rainy seasons, the strongest falls between April and July, the other, weaker, falls between September and November. Between December and March the longest dry season takes place, and the rainfall in January is only 35 mm. During the dry season, dry, dusty winds (Harmattan winds) blow from the Sahara desert in the north. According to BBC Weather, the average temperature in January is 27 °C (79 °F) and for July it is 25 °C (77 °F). The hottest month is March; with an average temperature of 29 °C (84 °F).

Average climate parameters of Lagos, Nigeria
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	40.0	37.1	37.0	39.6	37.0	37.6	33.2	33.0	33.2	33.7	39.9	36.4	40.0
Average temperature (°C)	32.2	33.2	32.9	32.2	30.9	29.3	28.2	28.3	28.9	30.3	31.4	31.8	30.8
Average temperature (°C)	27.3	28.4	28.5	28.0	27.0	25.6	25.2	25.0	25.5	26.4	27.2	27.2	26.8
Temp. medium (°C)	22.4	23.7	24.1	23.7	23.2	21.9	22.3	21.8	22.1	22.4	23.0	22.5	22.8
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	12.6	16.1	14.0	14.9	20.0	21.2	15.0	19.0	13.0	17.9	11.1	11.6	11.1
Total precipitation (mm)	13.2	40.6	84.3	146.3	202.4	315.5	243.0	121.7	160.0	125.1	39.7	14.8	1506.6
Precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	1.5	2.8	6.6	9.0	12.5	16.2	13.2	11.6	12.7	11.2	4.9	2.1	104.3
Hours of sun	164.3	168.0	173.6	180.0	176.7	114.0	99.2	108.5	114.0	167.4	186.0	192.2	1843.9
Relative humidity (%)	81	79	76	82	84	87	87	85	86	87	84	82	83
Source No. 1: Deutscher Wetterdienst, NOAA
Source No. 2: Meteo Climat

Economy

View of a typical street market of the city.

Distillation column compared to size

Lagos is Nigeria's most prosperous city, with much of the nation's wealth and most economic activity concentrated here. The quality of life is higher in Lagos than in any other part of the country. However, as of 2002, the total annual income of Lagos State is US$220 million, so the quality of life remains low by world standards.

Most of the nation's banks and financial institutions are located in the city, and more than half of Nigeria's industrial capacity is located in its suburbs, particularly in the Ikeja area. Notably, the large amount of manufactured goods produced in the city stands out, including electronic equipment, chemicals, beers, processed food, and textiles. The city's port is the largest in all of Nigeria and one of the largest in Africa, it is administered by the Nigerian Ports Authority and is divided into three sectors: The old port (currently in disuse), the port of Apapa which has a section for containers and is the largest of the three sections and the Tin Can port. In addition, the port has its own railway station. The main merchandise of the port is oil, which between 1997 and 2000 increased considerably. Oil also provides 20% of the national GDP and 90% of foreign exchange earnings.

To the east of Lagos, a free trade zone has been created with an associated deep-water port. Companies like BASF, Kellogg's and Colgate have set up shop there. The largest area of the free zone is occupied by the newly built Dangote refinery, the largest single-train oil refinery in the world. The refinery can boast other superlatives, such as the highest distillation column (112.5 m) and the RFCC regenerator as the "largest continuous piece of steel in the world", which before its installation was the "most massive object on a public road in Africa". The fertilizer section started operating in May 2022, the port in July 2022, and the rest are expected to do so by the end of 2022. More than 100,000 jobs will be created.

Landfills used to bury electronic waste cause lead to seep into the soil and sometimes into water resources. Reports from the World Health Organization have linked various health risks, such as thyroid dysfunction in women and irreversible damage to the nervous system in children, with electronic waste from developed countries buried in Lagos.

Transportation

View of the Third Lake Bridge.

Lagos has one of the largest road networks in West Africa, however most of its highways suffer from heavy congestion at rush hour due in part to the geography of the city as well as the large population increase of disorganized form that it has experienced in recent years.

Most of the highways were built by German contractors, and today most are in acceptable usable condition. Given the great importance of the city's port and also because it is one of the economic engines of the continent and its strategic location, three important routes of the Trans-African Highway Network start or end in Lagos. To the north the Trans-Saharan Highway connects the city with Algiers, in Algeria, to the west the West African Coastal Highway connects the city with Dakar, in Senegal, and to the east the Lagos-Mombasa Highway connects it with Mombasa, in Kenya. has created the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority.

As in other African cities, rickety buses, shared taxis (danfos) and motorcycle taxis (okadas) circulate in large numbers on the streets of Lagos. Although these means of public transport are used massively by the population, thefts are common, so tourists are advised not to use them.

There are ferries that link the islands that make up the city with the mainland of the city legally, although it is very common to transport passengers between areas in private boats illegally.

As far as air transport is concerned, the city has the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, which is considered dangerous by several international transport agencies, including the US FAA. During the 1990s, robberies of unsuspecting tourists inside and outside the facilities were frequent, and immigration officers were accused of being corrupt, charging non-existent taxes and taking bribes. Since the turn of the XXI century, steps have been taken to enhance the reputation of the airport, with a focus on safety.

Demographics

In 1901, only 37,000 people lived in Lagos, in 1921 there was already a figure close to 100,000 and in 1971 this amounted to 1.2 million. As in many other large cities, in Lagos there are also increasingly large suburbs and satellite cities where the main population growth is taking place. The following table shows the population growth, calculated on the basis of the urban area (urban area).

The metropolitan area of Lagos, the so-called "Lagos Metropolitana" in Nigeria, it is home to 16 of the 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State, and contains 88% of the population of the eponymous state.

Lagos is, in most studies, one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Lagos State is currently experiencing a population increase of approximately 275,000 people per year. In 1999 the UN predicted that the metropolitan area of the city, which had approximately 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, would start at 20 million around 2010 and thus become one of the ten most populous cities in the world. This projection, however, must be revised due to the results of the 2006 census.

Map showing the 16 local administration areas in the Metropolitan Lakes.

Culture

View of the "Golden Plaza" on Ikoyi Island, on the left of Victoria Bridge.

Lagos is a prominent city throughout Africa for its music, giving birth to a wide variety of styles such as Nigerian Hip Hop, Highlife, Jùjú, Fuji and Afrobeat.

Lagos is the center of the Nigerian film industry, often referred to as Nollywood and Idumota Market on Lagos Island is the main distribution center. Many movies are shot in the Festac area of the city.

The international film industry is slowly losing its following and Yoruba-language films become the most viewed in theaters, followed by Bollywood. Movies are not released and stay on screen for a long period of time like in the western world, especially Yoruba language movies. English-language cinema, which is mainly controlled by the Igbos, is the most popular and passes directly from the studios to the market.

Iganmu is home to Nigeria's premier center for performing and performing arts, the National Art Theatre. Notably, British musician Paul McCartney recorded his third post-Beatles album, Band on the Run at an EMI studio in Lagos, between August and September 1973.

The regional and main language of Lagos is the Yoruba language, although there is also a significant number of Igbo speakers.

Places of worship

• 

  Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lagos (Catholic Church)

• 

  Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos (Church of Nigeria)

• 

  First Baptist Church Lagos (the Nigerian Baptist Convention)

• 

  Central Lakes Mosque (Islam)

Places of worship include Christian churches and temples: Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Nigerian Baptist Convention (Baptist World Alliance), Living Faith Church Worldwide, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Assemblies of God, Archdiocese of Lagos (Catholic Church) and Islamic mosques.

Sports

As in the rest of Nigeria in Lagos the most popular sport is football and both the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) and the Lagos State Football Association are based in the city. At the club level, Bridge Boys FC and First Bank FC stand out, both playing in the Nigerian National League, the second most important category in the country.

The Nigerian soccer team, also known as the Super Eagles, played their home games at the Lagos National Stadium located in the city until 2003 when the Abuja Stadium opened in the city. national capital and the team moved there.

Featured Characters

Twinned cities

Lagos is twinned with the following cities: