About Lagos

Lagos ( or Èkó in the Yoruba language) is a port and the second most populous conurbation in Nigeria. It is currently the second most populous city in Africa, after Cairo, and is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa (UN-HABITAT, 2008) and the 7th fastest in the world.

Formerly the capital of Nigeria, Lagos is a huge metropolis which originated on islands separated by creeks, such as Lagos Island, that fringe the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by long sand spits such as Bar Beach which stretch up to 100 km east and west of the mouth. From the beginning Lagos has spread on the mainland west of the lagoon and the conurbation, including Ikeja and Agege, now reaches more than 40 km north-west of Lagos Island. There are Lagos Outskirts like Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry and recently more local councils have been created to bring the total numbers of local government to 57. The city is the economic and financial capital of Nigeria.

Lagos was a Yoruba settlement of Awori people initially called Eko. The Yoruba still use the name Eko when they speak of 'Lagos', a name which never existed in Yoruba language. The present day Lagos state has a higher percent of Awori, who migrated to the area from Isheri along the Ogun river. Throughout history, it was home to a number of warring ethnic groups who had settled in the area. During its early settlement, it also saw periods of rule by the Kingdom of Benin.

Portuguese explorer Rui de Sequeira visited the area in 1472, naming the area around the city Lago de Curamo; indeed the present name is Portuguese for "lakes". Another explanation is that Lagos was named for Lagos, Portugal - a maritime town which at the time was the main centre of the Portuguese expeditions down the African coast and whose own name is derived from the Latin word Lacobriga.

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