Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos, has been ranked as the 19th best city to visit in the world, according to Time Out which publishes guides and magazines.
The report ranked Lagos above Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates; San Francisco and Miami in the United States; Melbourne in Australia, among other popular cities around the world.
According to Time Out, this is the conclusion from a survey of more than 20,000 city dwellers around the world, along with its network of editors.
The criteria used to rate the cities include food (quality and affordability), culture, nightlife, how the city makes people feel, strong community vibes, access to green space, historic sites, and much more.
The report, which encourages tourists to visit and savour what the city has got to offer, notes that “when it comes to standard of living, Lagos has a lot going for it – 96 percent of locals are happy, 98 percent would call Lagos beautiful and the city got a 92 percent friendliness rating, too”.
Also highlighted in the report as central to enjoying the bustling city include Victoria Island’s trifecta of swanky resorts, food haunts, and nightlife, Ikeja’s Kuti’s Bistro, owned by the legendary afrobeat family, for serving up “reliably delicious food”, and Oniru Beach as a relaxation spot.
The report further noted: “Whether you’re a staunch mainlander or from Lekki, there’s something for everyone in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city.
“Both the city and its suburbs are expanding – just check out live-work-play concept Eko Atlantic City. Just out of town, Epe, on the north side of Lekki Lagoon, is experiencing a boom’’.
Apart from Lagos, only South Africa’s Cape Town (ranked second) and Ghana’s Accra (44th) were the African cities featured on the list.
See the full list:
- New York City, United States
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Berlin, Germany
- London, United Kingdom
- Madrid, Spain
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Liverpool, UK.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Rome, Italy
- Porto, Portugal
- Paris, France
- Mumbai, India
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Chicago, US
- Manchester, UK
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Los Angeles, US
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Naples, Italy
- Singapore
- Miami, US
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Lima, Peru
- Budapest, Hungary
- Beijing, China
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Montreal, Canada
- Glasgow, UK
- Sydney, Australia
- Bueno Aires, Argentina
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Manila, Philippines
- Seoul, South Korea
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- San Francisco, US
- Barcelona, Spain
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- New Orleans, US
- Philadelphia, US
- Austin, US
- Boston, US
- Accra, Ghana
- Marseille, France
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Osaka, Japan
- Hong Kong, China
- Vancouver, Canada
