Why Lagos matters
Lagos is Africa’s largest metropolis and a force to reckon with.
Lagos is a thriving business hub, Africa’s 5th largest economy
Lagos 2017 GDP is north of $130bn, placing at 5th largest economy in Africa, slightly higher than Angola or Morocco, equivalent to Kenya & Ghana combined, larger than Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Senegal combined. And it’s a dynamic economy, still growing at a healthy 4% in 2019 according to IMF despite Nigeria’s current recession. No business or successful professional executive serious about Africa can afford to pass on Lagos. The city is full of opportunities for those brave enough to seize it. And if you want to understand how this is possible, this Financial Times article on Nigerian Economy: Why Lagos works is a good place to start.
Lagos is an authentic African cultural center
When it comes to music, cinema, contemporary art, fashion, weddings trends, Lagos has become a global epicenter for cultural influence. And within Africa, by far the most influential city, setting the trends in many industries. Just couple of insights to convey the magnitude of Lagos influence in:
Music: Naija Pop produces series of globally relevant artists such as WizKid, Davido, Olamide, Don Jazzy, Banky W, Yemi Alade, 2Baba, Tekno … and so on. Their influence goes way beyond their own songs: remember Drake’s ‘One dance’, officially the biggest song on the planet in 2016 as per Forbes? Well it’s a collaboration with Nigerian Wizkid. And the Nigerian music scene is diversifying fast.
Nollywood: Nigerian film industry, churning out 1,000+ movies per year, is the pioneering and greatest story teller of African authentic stories. Its influence manifests in its wide distribution in dedicated channels in panafrican cable TV, the spread of informal DVDs and way more. Lagos is the center of that industry.
Fashion: Lagos has a thriving fashion scene and already accommodates several global fashion platforms like Heineken Lagos Fashion Week covered by Vogue, Arise Fashion Week with Naomi Campbell and GT Fashion Weekend
Contemporary Art: Lagos is home a very dynamic art scene with several artists, numerous art galleries, a wealth of art collectors and is on the map for global art auction houses such as Bonham or Sotheby’s. Its peak moment is during Art X Lagos art fair.
Should we say more?https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2017/18-things-to-know-before-you-go-to-lagos/
Lagos has plenty of experiences to offer
Lagos host several big events worth the trip during the year, some of them being Lagos Street carnival, Homecoming Music Festival, Lagos Hennessy Artistry Concert. Also thousands of weddings take place in Lagos who are each events on their own, full of life, colour, dance. The Wedding Party movie best illustrate how experiential those events can be.
On a daily basis, you can also experience a rich lifestyle in Lagos: a dynamic food scene with chefs and restaurant venues that keep pushing the limits, Africa’s largest night clubs and lounges and the most energetic nightlife on earth and other opportunities to experience life on a positive note.
Lagos builds the future
Lagos is home to Africa’s largest startup ecosystem: Sillicon Yaba. Its startup raised more money than those from Johannesburg, Nairobi or Cairo over the last years. And with several leading startups solving Africa’s hardest challenges such as Andela, Paga, iRocko TV, this is just the beginning. Financial Times article on Lagos booming startup scene is one of many articles telling the fabulous story of Silliconn Yaba. So if the world’s largest incubators such as Ycombinator have an interest in Lagos, why shouldn’t you?
Lagos is a religious pilgrimage for many
Indeed several religions born in Lagos (like TB Joshua’s) have spread globally to the point that each year brings its hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to their religion holy places in Lagos. Lagos is also a place of religious diversity full of mosques, different Christian churches and local churches, some of which are bigger than stadiums.
In a nutschell, no matter your interest, Lagos matters on an African scale if not global scale. So the real question is: Why not giving it a shot?
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g304026-Activities-Lagos_Lagos_State.html
