South West
Lagos State
Capital: Ikeja · Created 1967 · ≈20+ million metro (2024) — most populous in Africa · Area 3,577 km²
Population
≈20+ million metro (2024) — most populous in Africa
Size
3,577 km²
Capital
Ikeja
Year created
1967
Geopolitical zone
South West
Languages
English · Yoruba · Pidgin · every Nigerian language
Ethnic groups
- Yoruba (Awori indigenous)
- Igbo
- Hausa
- Bini
- Ibibio — cosmopolitan
Natural resources
- Silica sand
- Bitumen
- Salt
- Fisheries
- Massive commercial economy
Signature foods
- Every Nigerian dish
- Suya
- Amala
- Party jollof rice
- Boli (roasted plantain) & fish
- Efo riro
Notable people
- Herbert Macaulay (Nigerian nationalist)
- Fela Kuti (Afrobeat)
- Wole Soyinka (Nobel Laureate)
- Bola Tinubu (President)
- Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Rema, Ayra Starr (Afrobeats capital)
- Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic (Nollywood)
Culture, values & festivals
- Eyo festival
- Lagos Carnival, Felabration, Lagos International Jazz Festival
- 24/7 hustle culture
- Afrobeats capital of the world
- Silicon Lagoon tech scene
Top places to visit in Lagos
- 1
Lekki Conservation Centre
Canopy walkway, monkeys, mangrove trail.
- 2
Nike Art Gallery
Africa's largest privately owned art gallery — 5 floors, free entry.
- 3
National Museum, Onikan
Nok terracotta, Ife heads, Benin bronzes.
- 4
Tarkwa Bay & Elegushi Beach
Popular weekend beaches accessible by boat or road.
- 5
Freedom Park, Lagos Island
Restored colonial prison — now a cultural centre with concerts.
- 6
New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja
Fela Kuti's musical shrine — Sunday jam sessions.
- 7
Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge
Modern suspension bridge with sunset skyline views.
- 8
Badagry Slave Route
Restored slave-trade routes, museums, and Point of No Return.
About the South West
Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo. Yoruba homeland, commercial capital, oldest universities.