Brief History
Lagos is one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the largest Nigerian city by population. It is also a city due to its cosmopolitan culture and a melting pot for Nigerians and foreigners alike.
Lagos State earned its cosmopolitan culture from being a former national capital and the nation's commercial hub. As a result, it attracted rapid developments especially in modern infrastructure such as stadium, roads, hospitals, historical monuments, etc.
Lagos, also known as 'Eko', has an estimate population of 16,060,030 dwellers in over 10 local governments; which means 'lakes', was the name given by the Portuguese explorer Rui de Segueira when he visited the area in 1472. The name was given after Lagos, Portugal, a maritime town which was the center of Portuguese expeditions down the African Coast.
Lagos Hustle and Bustle
Lagos is a city with many sides. You have the good, bad and the ugly. But that's what makes it interesting place to be. If you are staying in Lagos for the first, you might not be used to the Lagos hustle. The rush hour times between 4am and 8am when workers are on their way to work and 6pm and 9pm when they are leaving their offices on Mondays to Fridays have got to be the most frustrating times for those who use the commercial 'danfo' and private commuters alike. It's frustrating because of the traffic gridlock on the major roads especially those that lead to the island from the mainland. Lagosian are hardworking. There's almost nothing you can't find to buy in Lagos because of the hustling spirit of its inhabitants. When you're caught up in traffic which is popularly known as 'holdup' or 'go slow', you can conveniently buy ingredients to make a delicious food with when you get home. Ever been so hungry in the bus that you just have to eat something? Don't worry there's Gala and Lacasera a call away. This combination has saved lots of lives and its still in that business.
Lagos Night Life
Despite all the stress from traffic and the tension of working a 9-5 job, Lagosians never fail to unwind with every chance they get. They play as hard as they work. Play time is play time, nothing can take that away. This is why bars, sit-outs and nightclubs are always filled out in the evenings. You can easily say Lagosians are night crawlers due to the fact that they can still be out partying and jollying till dawn. Lagos never sleeps. The city is awake and bubbling every hour of the day, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.
Lagos street food
Lagos is like no other city when it comes to the street food. There's everything ranging from suya, fried yam also known as dundun, fried potatoes, fried plantain known as dodo, roast ripe or unripe plaintain known as boli, roast or boiled corn usually eaten with coconut, bean cake popularly known as akara to donkunu with Togolese origin, and wakye or wanche with Ghanaian origin.
You can find different people of different origins in Lagos. Indians, Lebanese, Germans, Americans, and literally the whole of Asia can be found in Lagos. Those Asian guys are at every nook and cranny of Lagos. I gave them that tag because you can't tell them apart. They look so much alike. I think they feel safer in Lagos than in any other place in the country and Lagos provides them with everything they are looking for business wise and otherwise.
Any first time visitor to the state will always marvel at the way Lagosians survive and when they have the Lagos experience, they wouldn’t want to return where they came from. They want more. This kind of enthralling, eye-catching and heart-thumping experiences cannot be found in other Nigerian cities.
Visit Lagos and bask in the euphoria and pleasure of all the goodness.
Eko o ni baje o!