Percy Onyeka
Lagos has been ranked as the 19th best city to visit in the world, according to Time Out that publishes guides and magazines.
Apart from Lagos, South Africa’s Cape Town (ranked second) and Ghana’s Accra (44th) were the only African cities that featured on the list.
Time Out said it drew its 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 encouraged global citizens to visit the city.
“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.
“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,” the report read.
The report also highlighted 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.
In 2023, the Economist Intelligence Unit said Lagos was the fourth worst city to live in the world.
Lagos was ranked above Algiers, the capital of Algeria; Tripoli, Libya’s capital; and Damascus, the capital of war-torn Syria.
The report surveyed 173 cities and used 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
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
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