10 Tourist Attractions In Lagos
The city of Lagos is the place to be. The former capital of Nigeria and the country’s largest economy has a whole lot of tourists attractions. You’ll be spoilt with the tonnes of recreational places in Lagos like beaches, resorts, museums, art centres, markets, malls and festivals you get to enjoy. There’s an abundance of historical and cultural landmarks as well. If you are a sports lover, Lagos also has something for you either, horse riding, tennis or golf. The city of Lagos is a tourist attraction for everyone, whether you’re here alone, with friends or with family.
Here are 10 Tourist attractions the city of Lagos has to offer.
1. National Museum
The national museum located in Onikan Lagos and established in 1957, just before Nigeria gained independence, has been a source of tourism. The museum has great collections in archaeology, ethnography and traditional art. This museum houses the bullet-ridden car of the country’s former Head of State — late General Murtala Mohammed — was assassinated in 1976.
It also has galleries dedicated to brasses from Benin City, Nok Terracottas etc. The National Museum Lagos has a small crafts village with woodcarvings and other handicrafts for sale at fixed prices. If you are a lover of history and art, you’ll definitely enjoy visiting the National Museum.
2. Badagry Black Heritage Museum
The Badagry Black Heritage Museum is a great tourist attraction in Lagos. It takes visitors on a journey through the past. It is located in the ancient town of Badagry, Lagos, and it is housed in the former districts officer’s office built in 1863. From the early 1500’s, slaves were transported from West Africa to the Americas through Badagry. It’s reported that Badagry exported no fewer than 550,000 African slaves to America during the period of the American Independence in 1787. The museum’s nine galleries tell this story through artefacts like trade documents, dated shackles, sketches, photos, sculptures and other salvaged historical records that documented the city’s dark past. The best part about visiting this museum is the entire town of Badagry is a living historical museum. You get to learn the role the town played in that dark period.
3. Terra Kulture
The Terra Kulture is the one-stop tourist attraction for creative arts: literature, language, drama, visual arts, comedy, culinary, music, film, fashion design and dance. You can’t get all that art in one place anywhere else in Lagos. This artistic place can be found on plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Eti Osa, Lagos. Terra Kulture promotes the richness and diversity of Nigerian languages, arts and culture and it has six arms that aim to do that. The six arms are The Language School, The Craft Shop, A Reading Centre with current books on Nigeria, A Gallery, An Arena with facilities for drama presentation, conferences and seminars and a cosy restaurant portraying the richness of Nigerian Cuisine.
4. Lekki Conservation Centre
The Lekki Conservation Centre is a 78-hectare (190-acre) natural resource conservation in Lekki, Lagos state. You get to immerse yourself in the beauties of nature on the amazing tour of this centre. You can even climb above tree canopies on the longest canopy bridge walk in Africa. The canopy walk is about 401-metre long. It is an engineering feat and an amazing suspended swinging bridge walkway. The family Park is a world-class picnic haven and offers nature walks, picnic & sporting facilities.
5. New Afrika Shrine
The New Afrika Shrine is a place you have to visit if you are in Lagos. The original Shrine was built by Afrobeat Legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti and was unfortunately burnt down. The replacement is managed by his children. This open-air entertainment centre is located on Adeleye St, Ikeja, Lagos. The best time to visit is during the annual Felabration music festival. But you can also stop by on Thursday and Sunday when Femi Kuti plays and the last Saturday of the month when the energetic Seun Kuti plays.
6. Ikoyi Golf Club
If you are a lover of golf, pay a visit to this sporty tourist attraction in Lagos. Established on 1938 after the merger of the European Club and Lagos Golf Club, the Ikoyi Golf Club is one of the oldest sports clubs in Nigeria. Ikoyi Club Golf course is a par 71 course made up of 18 holes, totalling 5838 meters in length. The club has several resident pros that are available to help the beginners or the more competent golfers. The Clubhouse is a buzz of activity throughout the week and is a great place for networking and meeting people.
7. National Arts Theatre
The National Arts Theatre is the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. The beautiful architectural monument is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. Constructed in 1976, National Arts Theatre which hosted the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977. The building is one of the most identifiable national symbols about Nigeria arts and culture at home and abroad and is termed “the culture house”.
8. Nike Art Gallery & Culture Center
Nike Art Gallery is arguably the largest art gallery in West Africa and it is owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye. The art gallery can be found on №2, Elegushi Road, 3rd Roundabout, Epe Expressway, Lekki Lagos. Housed in a five-storey tall building, it boasts a collection of about 8,000 diverse artworks from various Nigerian artists. Fortunately, the gallery is open 7 days a week often holding art exhibitions, workshops and cultural days. You can even partake in creating traditional African crafts such as adire, batik, indigo, beadwork, painting, or carving.
9. Freedom Park, Lagos
The Freedom Park is a memorial and leisure park on Lagos Island. It was formerly Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison. The Park was constructed to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Nigerians. Monuments in the park reveal the Lagos colonial heritage and history of Her Majesty’s Broad Street prisons. This park serves as a National Memorial, a Historical landmark, a Cultural site, Arts and Recreation centre.
10. Jakande Tinubu Park (JJT Park)
At the heart of Ikeja, Lagos is the the Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park (JJT Park), Alausa Ikeja. If you are a tourist in Lagos, this should be on your bucket list, please use this list for your wonderful getaway plan of exploring Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general, post-Covid-19.
The main attractions of JJT Park are Eyo Statue, Playground for Children, Water Fountain, Face Sculptures, Flags, Food Court, Love Nest and a Mini Zoo that houses a variety of birds.