….Listed Alongside Cape Town, Marrakech
For the second time in one year, Lagos State has hit the headlines on the global stage, with Time Out Magazine ranking it as one of the three best African cities for Y2025.
Cape Town was named ahead of Lagos, with 97% of its residents saying the city made them feel good. Marrakech, known for its hospitality, earned praise for its developing food scene and community warmth.
Annually, Time Out receives information from local experts on the most exciting cities to visit for the compilation of combined data to determine the world’s best cities.
The survey conducted by the magazine found that 72% of Lagos residents find it easy to connect with people and form social connections, just as Lagos remains a major cultural, entertainment and business hub in Africa.
Reacting to the news, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso said the achievement did not come as a surprise because Lagos has a robust entertainment and tourism roadmap that has attracted tourists from all parts of the world.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has a vision to ensure that Lagos takes its rightful place among leading megacities. That is why nightlife keeps thriving in Lagos – thanks to the creation of an enabling environment for tourism and entertainment, principal amongst which is the security of lives and property,” Omotoso said.
He recalled that in Y2024, Time Out ranked Lagos the 6th best city for nightlife ahead of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Manchester, United Kingdom, amongst others, citing strong tourism and entertainment growth under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He attributed the feat to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s numerous initiatives to ensure that Lagos takes its rightful place among the frontline megacities.
His words: “There’s so much investment in technology, transportation, tourism and entertainment, education, security, and more. Indeed, a Greater Lagos is Rising.”
The Statistica Research Department on 30th January 2024 projected that the direct contribution of Lagos to the GDP of Nigeria for Y2026 will be approximately $3.4 billion US dollars.