🇳🇬 Nigeria Is Not Lagos And Lagos Is Not Nigeria
If I tell you that I live in Lagos, Nigeria, what is the first picture that comes to mind?
Perhaps traffic, crowded streets and the constant noise of a city where everyone seems to be moving at the same time. Maybe you think of beaches, nightlife, Afrobeats, colourful markets and the endless energy that seems to define Lagos.You would not be completely wrong. That is Lagos. Lagos, however, represents only one part of Nigeria. After travelling to several countries, I began to realise that I had not travelled nearly enough within my own country. The experience made me increasingly aware of how easily a city as powerful and influential as Lagos can lead someone to mistake one part of Nigeria for the whole country. Lagos is huge, loud, colourful and impossible to ignore, and for many international visitors, Lagos becomes the first introduction to Nigeria. But Nigeria extends far beyond Lagos, with many different landscapes, cultures, histories and ways of life waiting to be discovered.
The moment you leave Lagos, something begins to change. The landscape changes. The pace changes. The architecture changes. The food changes. The history changes. Even the way people experience everyday life can feel completely different. That is when you begin to understand that Nigeria is not Lagos and Lagos is certainly not Nigeria.
I have started traveling extensively and I am still discovering my own country. So rather than tell you what Nigeria looks like, let me take you along some of the roads I have travelled and show you some part of Nigeria I have encountered.
When planning a trip to Nigeria, many international travellers naturally look towards Lagos. Murtala Muhammed International Airport remains one of Nigeria’s principal international gateways, making Lagos the obvious starting point for many visitors. Nigeria has other international gateways too. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria lists international airports serving Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu. This information alone should make you pause. Nigeria is bigger than the city where you first land. You could arrive in Abuja and discover a completely different kind of Nigerian city. You could fly into Port Harcourt and use the city as a gateway to the Niger Delta. Enugu can introduce you to southeastern Nigeria. Kano opens the door to northern Nigeria, although that remains one part of the country I have not yet explored myself. I think that admission matters. I have travelled widely, but I have not seen everything Nigeria has to offer. Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful things about travelling your own country. No matter how much you have seen, another road remains waiting, another city remains waiting, and another story remains waiting to be told.
One of the easiest places to begin exploring beyond Lagos is Abeokuta, the capital of neighbouring Ogun State. The name Abeokuta means “under the rock,” and standing beneath the enormous formations of Olumo Rock makes the name feel very real.
I climbed through the rocks, squeezed through narrow passages and eventually looked out over the sprawling city below me. From up there, Lagos already felt very far away. Abeokuta had its own personality. There was the rock, the history, the hills and the stories embedded in the landscape. The experience reminded me that Nigeria does not have to mean skyscrapers, traffic and a busy coastal metropolis. Sometimes Nigeria means climbing a rock and looking down at a city spread out beneath you. And my journey was only beginning.
From Abeokuta, my journey into southwestern Nigeria took me towards Ile-Ife, a place deeply connected with Yoruba history, culture and artistic heritage.
Standing beside this sculpture, I found myself thinking about how much history exists beneath the modern Nigeria that most visitors see. There are stories of kingdoms, traditions, spirituality, craftsmanship and identity that stretch far beyond the contemporary cities. One of the things I love about travelling in Nigeria is that I do not always have to cross an international border to feel as though I have entered another world. Sometimes I only have to take another road.
Just when I thought I had a picture of southwestern Nigeria, the landscape changed again. At Erin Ijesha Waterfalls, I found myself standing in the water beneath a cascading waterfall, surrounded by thick green vegetation and rock. The experience felt completely removed from the Lagos I know. There was no rush of traffic around me. No city skyline. No honking cars. There was simply water falling over rock, forest all around me and the feeling of being somewhere that many people outside Nigeria may never imagine exists here.
Then came Ikogosi, another reminder that Nigeria does not have one landscape. Surrounded by greenery and rock, Ikogosi is known for its warm and cold springs. Once again, I found myself looking at my own country through fresh eyes. How many people think of places like these when they hear the word Nigeria? Probably not enough.
If Abeokuta showed me the historical and natural side of southwestern Nigeria, Abuja gave me an entirely different urban experience. The difference from Lagos was almost immediate. The roads seemed broader. The city felt more spacious. Hills surrounded the capital, while the architecture and rhythm of life felt different.
Standing there with the National Mosque rising beside the wide boulevard, I found myself thinking about how strange such a contrast feels within the same country. Abuja does not feel like Lagos. And that is precisely the point. Nigeria can change dramatically from one city to another without crossing an international border.
Port Harcourt rarely makes the shortlist when people think about visiting Nigeria as Lagos and Abuja tend to get all the attention. But this city has its own quiet magnetism, and I got to see the city through fresh eyes when I brought runner friends here for a pre-dawn race in the city. The lush greenery, colourful markets and abundance of fresh produce immediately created a different atmosphere. Port Harcourt offers more than a city experience. The city also serves as one of the gateways into the Niger Delta, a region shaped by rivers, creeks, wetlands and communities whose lives remain closely connected to water.
Once again, I found myself asking the same question. How can all of this possibly be reduced to Lagos? You simply can not.
Perhaps the best advice I can give is simple. Do not come to Nigeria expecting one experience. Come expecting many. Come to Lagos if you want to feel the pulse of one of Africa’s great megacities. Stay long enough to experience the food, music, beaches, markets, nightlife and extraordinary energy of the people.Then leave Lagos. Go to Abeokuta and climb through the rocks. Pay a visit to Ile-Ife and encounter Yoruba heritage. Venture into the forests of the southwest and stand beneath waterfalls. Experience Ikogosi. Visit Abuja and see how different the capital feels. Explore Port Harcourt and discover another gateway into the Niger Delta. Then keep going.
There is northern Nigeria, southeastern Nigeria and so much more of the country that I have yet to experience myself. There are mountains, forests, beaches, rivers, ancient cities, festivals, markets, food, art and cultures that I have not yet encountered. That is what excites me most. Nigeria does not have one face. Nigeria has many. I live in Lagos. I love Lagos. Lagos is home. But after travelling around Nigeria, I know that Lagos cannot tell the whole Nigerian story. The biggest mistake a traveller can make is to visit one Nigerian city and assume they now understand the country. I have travelled extensively across Nigeria, and I am still discovering my own country. That should tell you something. So, if you are planning your first trip to Nigeria, do not ask only, “What can I see in Lagos?” Ask the bigger question“What else is waiting for me beyond Lagos?”
If you have visited Nigeria, which Nigerian destination surprised you the most? And if Nigeria remains on your travel list, where would you want to go first? Lagos, Abuja, Abeokuta, Ile-Ife, Port Harcourt, or somewhere completely different?
Tell me in the comments. I would love to discover which part of Nigeria has captured your imagination.
Nigeria is waiting. And Lagos is only the beginning. 🇳🇬
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