According to Time Out, a guidebook and magazine publisher, Lagos is the world’s 19th best city to visit.
Apart from Lagos, the only African cities on the list were South Africa’s Cape Town (ranked second) and Ghana’s Accra (44th).
Time Out claimed its conclusion was based on a survey of more than 20,000 city dwellers worldwide, as well as its network of editors.
The criteria used to rank the cities include food (quality and cost), culture, nightlife, how the city makes people feel, strong community feelings, access to open space, historic landmarks, 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.
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