Location of Lagos

Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country. Lagos is its largest city, located in the southwest on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, close to its border with Benin. Although the city is no longer the country’s capital, having been replaced by Abuja in 1991, it is Nigeria’s most important city for economic reasons.

A map to show the location of Lagos in Nigeria

The city was originally a tiny fishing village on an island until Portuguese settlers arrived in the 15th century. In the early twentieth century, it became the capital city of Nigeria until 1991, when the government moved to Abuja.

Lagos’s population increases by approximately 600,000 each year. The Lagos State Government estimates it at 17.5 million. However, the Nigerian government has disputed this number and found it unreliable by the National Population Commission of Nigeria, which put it at over 21 million in 2016. Regardless of which is most accurate, Lagos has the highest population of any African city.

As the population of Laos has grown, so has the city’s physical size. The original settlement consisted of Lagos Island. By the 1960s, the city had expanded north into the mainland. Urban growth occurred along the railway line. A population boom occurred during the 1970s due to the growth of the oil industry. Many thousands of people moved to the city seeking jobs in this industry. Urban growth continued during the 1980s and 1990s. Find out more about the growth of Lagos.

From above, the city looks like any modern city. The city centre skyline is dominated by modern, high-rise offices, surrounded by miles of sprawling suburbs linked by busy roads.

At street level, the air is filled with noise from generators that power the city due to unreliable energy supply, motorbikes, and yellow minibus taxis.

The Regional Importance of Lagos

• Jobs and migration: Lagos is the main destination for rural-urban migrants in Nigeria, offering more employment opportunities than most other parts of the country.
• Transport hub: It has an extensive network of roads and a major seaport, connecting the southwest region to the rest of Nigeria.
• Education and healthcare: Lagos has more hospitals and schools than any other region in Nigeria, attracting people from nearby states for services. Lagos is important for providing hospitals, schools, universities, employment opportunities, leisure, and recreation.
• History of economic growth – it generates the highest money earned of all states in Nigeria.

The National Importance of Lagos

• Home to 10% of Nigeria’s population
• Nigeria’s centre of trade and commerce
• Lagos is home to around 80% of Nigeria’s industry and generates about 30% of its GDP.
• 80% of Nigeria’s imports and 70% of its exports pass through the docks.
• Lagos is Nigeria’s media centre, and many television channels and newspapers operate there.
• It is the centre of Nigeria’s film industry.
• As Nigeria’s financial centre, the city is home to most banks, financial institutions and the stock exchange.
• Most large corporations and Transnational Corporations (TNCs) have their Nigerian headquarters in Lagos.

The International Importance of Lagos

• The main financial centre of West Africa
• A global city with a substantial and growing foreign-born population
• 80% of flights into West Africa go into Lagos airport
• Lagos has one of the highest standards of living in Nigeria and Africa.
• Its Apapa port is the 5th busiest in Africa.
• The city has been the venue for major sporting events such as the African Cup of Nations football tournament.
• Lagos is the ICT centre of West Africa, with the largest market on the continent.
• The Lagos International Trade Fair has become a major international business forum attracting people from across the continent.