Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria, the largest country in Africa. The metropolitan area, an estimated 300 square kilometers, is a group of islands endowed with creeks and a lagoon. Lagos is projected to be one of the world's five largest cities by 2005.

Lagos is highly urbanized with a population of over 75% of its 15 million populations are living in Metropolitan Lagos. Lagos State is the largest urban agglomeration in Africa and the 6th global mega city, with its population growth at 8% as against Nigeria's rate of 2.9% and that of global at 2%.

One important factor while thinking of investment or business venture in Nigeria, Lagos State has the largest market in Sub-Saharan Africa, home of Nigeria Chief ports, Apapa and Tin Can Island; 70% of national economic investment is in Lagos, with 29 industrial estates and four central business districts, (CBD). Lagos is the home of the Nigeria Capital Market Stock Exchange and Banks; the strategic Escravos-Lagos - West Africa Oil/Gas Pipeline; the Western Terminus of the Nigeria Railway system. Lagos is also the media hub and international telecommunication gangway, with Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigeria busiest international airport, at its advantage.

Other business attractions of Lagos State are in Tourism as a major enterprise in Lagos given its historical and commercial antecedents as well as its scenic waterfronts and landscapes. Investments opportunities regarding tourism could be in Hotels and Motels, Restaurants and Casinos, Holiday Resorts, Amusement, Theme Parks; Botanical or Zoological Gardens, Game Villages, Trading Outlets like Plazas, Central Business Districts (shopping malls etc.), Waterfronts and Beaches as tourism outlets. The potential investors have the answers to their nagging questions about their chances investing in Nigeria, especially in Lagos.

On an historic note, Lagos State was created on May 27th, 1967 by virtue of the State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. 14 of 1967 which restructured Nigeria into a Federation of twelve states. However, Lagos as a trading port has a recorded history dating back to the Portuguese explorers of the 16th century. The State is composed of the old Federal Territory of Lagos which remains the financial hub and was the Federal Capital of Nigeria up to December 12, 1991, and the old Colony Province of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria comprising Badagry, Ikeja, Ikorodu and Epe Divisions. Lagos State has not been affected by subsequent state creation exercises and, today, it forms one of the 36 states making up the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tourism is relatively a budding enterprise in Nigeria but owing to Nigeria's potentials, it has undergone a gradual but progressive evolution in the past three decades.

Nigeria is a country greatly endowed. It is blessed with warm, sundry climate, over 800 kilometers of fascinating beaches and evergreen vegetation in the South, while in the North, alluring landforms overshadows savannah grasslands. Added to these are the interesting natural features in form of water falls, springs, hills, some mountainous areas with temperate like climate and a range of special and common species of tropical wildlife. These, coupled with wide market opportunities, diverse socio-cultural heritage that gives the nation its uniqueness and the hospitality of the about 120 million people earn Nigeria the sobriquet, GIANT OF AFRICA.

It is almost impossible to deny Nigeria its prime of place amongst the richly endowed potential tourist destinations in the world.

Places of Interest (Tourist Attractions in Nigeria)

Tourist attractions in Nigeria can be classified as follows:

1. Natural Attractions: There are abundant physical attractions, which include hills, caves, springs, lakes and mountains across the entire country. These fascinating features and alluring scenes are good sites for leisure, adventure and other tourism-related endeavours. Example of these physical attractions are old Oyo National Park, Yankari Games Reserve in Bauchi; Obudu (Protea) Cattle Ranch, in cross River State and the Jos Wildlife Park in Plateau State.

2. Man-made Attractions: These are man made sites created for the purpose of relaxation. These include the Rayfield Holiday Resorts in Jos, the Bower's Tower in Ibadan and various amusement parks that dots the length and breadth of Nigeria's major towns and cities.

3. National Parks: National Parks are special natural ecosystems with unique attributes. They play unquantifiable roles vital to national/regional well-being as well as act as a catalyst for the development of eco-tourism. They also enhance ecological processes and life support systems such as soil regeneration, protection of nutrient cycles, cleansing and purifying hydrological cycles. There are eight such parks in Nigeria. They are:



4. Eco-Tourism and Recreation: Park viewing and bird watching are prominent recreation activities. Others are hiking among the trails. The Dogon Ruwa waterfalls has a high potential for the development of swimming pool. The rocks are not only fascinating but are good training grounds for mountaineering and endurance training.

5.Cultural Attractions: These are activities based on people's ways of life expressed as religious beliefs, colourful festivals, dance, songs, artworks etc. The cultural assets of Nigeria are amongst the most fascinating in Africa, some of which include the Osun Oshogbo festival, Osun State, Eyo festival in Lagos, Kano/Katsina Durbar, Argungu in Kebbi State and Mmanwu festival in the South Eastern Nigeria.

6. Museum and Monuments: Nigeria is enriched with finest collections of Arts and Crafts as well as archaeological relics showing our historical past like Terra-Cotta head from the old Nok Culture, the famous Benin Bronze art works and the Yoruba's exciting sculptures. These great varieties of ancient relics can be found in all the branches of Nigeria national museums.

7. Nigerian Crafts: Crafts are symbols of Nigeria's material and spiritual heritage. Crafts are well integrated into the living patterns of Nigerians and inseparable from their spiritual philosophies. They are therefore prized objects for the promotion and preservation of tourism. Nigerian crafts are grouped into textiles, pottery and ceramics, fiber crafts, bronze, brass and iron works, woodworks, calabash decorations, leather works, ivory, jewelry etc.

8. Conference/Business Tourism: Conference/Business Tourism is a veritable area of tourism in which Nigeria is selling fast her credentials to the rest of the world community. There is an international conference center located in the Central Business District of Abuja, which can comfortably host any conference of international standard. The elegant ECOWAS secretariat located in Asokoro District of the FCT is also complementing its service. It serves as the Administrative Headquarters of the Economic Community of West African State with facilities for international conference. The international conference centre serves as venue for conference, seminars and conventions. It has an auditorium with a sitting capacity of 2,000 and other smaller committee rooms with communication equipment and gadgets capable of translating at least four languages simultaneously. The centre is located along Herbert Macaulay Way in Garki District in Abuja.