TRAVEL REVIEW
LAGOS the incredible giant city of West Africa. By Sandra Idossou
T
he expression I often read on people’s faces when I proudly tell them that I lived in Nigeria for eighteen months and loved it. Some are like, “What? Really? No Way!!!” Their shock is a result of the many negative stereotypes they have on Nigeria. Many today still think that all Nigerians are fraudsters, loud, aggressive and religious extremists. It is true that Nigeria is a controversial country because of its history, its population (the biggest in Africa); its oil and the vibrant economy with the biggest number of richest men in Africa. Nigeria also boasts of a booming movie industry thanks to... Nollywood’ and a growing music industry with many great musicians. It is also known for having some of the most intelligent and well educated Africans.
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Discovering the Vibrant city of Lagos When Rwandair started its commercial flight to Lagos in December, my friend Eva and I were in a hurry to join the first-time passengers for a weekend in Lagos. From the airport, we made a stopover at the Southern Sun Hotel in Ikoyi for a welcome drink then continued to Banana Island, home to some of the finest Nigeria real estates. The first impression we got from the airport to the Victoria Island was the cleanliness on the streets. Of course this cannot be compared to Kigali but if you knew Lagos years ago, you will appreciate the great work the present city authorities have done. As it was during the festive season, the streets were beautifully decorated. Getting to the Island, most visitors are surprised by the Third Mainland Bridge, the longest bridge in a city in Africa that measures almost 12km.
Lagos, the city of all possibilities. Lagos is booming, vibrant, full of people, cars, shops, hawkers… well, it is simply not a place for a quiet holiday, sightseeing and safari game hunting. Lagos State is the financial and economic capital of Nigeria with over 20 million of population (the second largest in Africa after Cairo). Although it is the smallest state among the 36 in Nigeria, its population is the highest. The UN estimates that at its present growth rate, Lagos state will be third largest mega city in the world by 2015 after Tokyo in Japan and Bombay in India. Entertainment in Lagos Lagos is full of exciting activities, traffic jams, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Because of the noise, it seems there is either a night club or a church at every corner of the city. A good way to start the
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