Lagos

Lagos (/ˈleɪɡɒs/ LAY-goss;[10][11] also US: /ˈlɑːɡoʊs/ LAH-gohss;[11][12] Yoruba: Èkó), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in Southern Nigeria. With an upper population estimate of 21 million, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent.[13][14][15][16] [17] Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country.[18][19][20] Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas.[28][29] A megacity, it has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa,[2][30] and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent.[31][32][33] Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.[34] Lagos emerged as a home to the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba of West Africa islands in the 15th century, which are contained in the present day Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Amuwo-Odofin and Apapa. In the 15th century, the Awori settlement was conquered by the Benin Empire and the island became a Benin war-camp called “Eko” under Oba Orhogba, the Oba of Benin at the time. The Yoruba still use the name Eko to refer to Lagos.[35] The islands are separated by creeks, fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon, while being protected from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier islands and long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to 100 km (62 mi) east and west of the mouth. Due to rapid urbanisation, the city expanded to the west of the lagoon to include areas in the present day Lagos Mainland, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Surulere. This led to the classification of Lagos into two main areas: the Island, which was the original city of Lagos, and the Mainland, which it has since expanded into.[36] This city area was governed directly by the Federal Government through the Lagos City Council, until the creation of Lagos State in 1967, which led to the splitting of Lagos city into the present-day seven Local Government Areas (LGAs), and an addition of other towns (which now make up 13 LGAs) from the then Western Region to form the state.[37]