Nigeria is easily Africa’s largest country by population, with 206 million people ranking it the seventh-most-populous in the world
. About 21 million of those people live in Lagos, which can be a confusing, chaotic place if you don’t know how to get around, but a culturally diverse, fascinating, and beautiful city if you know where to look. We’ve got a comprehensive travel guide to Lagos, where you’ll learn how to make the most of one of the world’s largest cities.
Nigeria is also home to a massive film industry — known as Nollywood — and though they don’t exactly offer tram-guided backlot tours, it brings a strong creative vibe to the country. Venturing outside Lagos, make a stop in Ibadan, where you’ll find colonial and art deco architecture all over the city.
Even with a dense population, Nigeria has nature, too, and the best place to get some fresh air is in the Gashaka Game Reserve. Or you can stay active with a hike through Shere Hills, or hike through the seven Olumirin Falls. Nigeria hasn’t developed its tourism quite as much as you might expect from a country so large, and while we can’t promise small crowds, we can say you won’t find a lot of tourists.