12 Most Loved Cities In Nigeria

 Nigeria is a fascinating destination,
blessed with amazing cities and
towns. Most of these cities and
towns are known across the country
for their fascinating attractions,
beautiful scenery, natural resources
and cultural heritage. Abuja, the
capital city is one of the most loved
cities in the country. There are other
major cities in Nigeria which are very
much loved and visited. Some are
loved for their homeliness and
hospitable demeanour, others are for
their economic and business
advantages; yet more are loved for
their availability of fun, tourism and
vacation spots.
We’ve scouted about, dug around and
browsed the Internet for
recommendations from Nigerians,
and tourists, and we still came up
with a definitive list of the most
loved cities in Nigeria. Therefore, in
no particular order, here are the most
loved cities in Nigeria to visit:

1. Ibadan....
It’s also called the ‘ancient city’ and
it’s the state capital of Oyo. It’s
described as the biggest city in the
whole of West Africa. Located in the
south-western part of Nigeria it is
densely populated with so many
industrial and commercial activities.
This city has the first advance
learning institution – the University
of Ibadan (formally the university
college Ibadan), also the first sky
scrapper (Cocoa house) and the first
teaching hospital in Africa. The city
is made up of interwoven streets
with local and international markets
and malls. This city is known for
tourism too, with a remarkable
museum in the African study
institution, botanical and Zoological
garden in Agodi and in the University
of Ibadan respectively, Mapo colonial
city hall. Life in this town is beautiful
with diversity of lifestyle and culture.


2. Abuja

Nigeria’s Federal capital, Abuja is
currently one of the most developed
cities in the country. Little wonder it
is loved and experiencing alarming
levels of immigration. Abuja is
Nigeria’s seat of power and it is
believed that in Abuja, life is good.
Whether rich, middle class or poor,
there somehow is a place for all. It
is also considered a highly business
destination. While in Abuja,
experience a different kind of
sightseeing that will make your visit
memorable. Places like Jabi Lake,
Silverbird Cinema and Millennium
Park are really cool spots to unwind
and have fun. For folks who love to
shop, some of the big shopping
stores in Abuja will give you value for
your money.

3. Jos
‘J town’ as it is popularly called is
one of the “cool” and most
loved cities in the northern region of
Nigeria. Aside from its recent crisis,
the city is a lot of fun and people
love it particularly for the weather
and serene environment. The
southern part of Jos is said to be
peaceful and the people there are
really accommodating. What’s more?
The standard of living in Jos is very
affordable. It also boasts a number
of attractions including two
museums, a wildlife park and game
reserve, breathtaking waterfalls and
striking hills and rocks. Jos is a
beautiful town and is a really nice
place to raise a family or live.


4. Calabar
Located in South-eastern Nigeria and
watered by the Great Kwa and
Calabar rivers, the city is home to a
variety of attractions such as Obudu
Cattle Ranch and Tinapa Resort. The
city attracts visitors with its array of
tasty delicacies, beautiful
architecture and festivals. Every year,
Calabar hosts Africa’s biggest street
party known as the Calabar Carnival,
where diverse colourful cultural
costumes are displayed. There’s
never a dull moment in this carnival.
For indigenous vacation in Nigeria,
Calabar is often the first location
that comes to people’s mind. The
city boasts of several other
attractions including an integrated
sports complex, a free trade zone
and Port and an international air and
sea port among many others.\

5. Minna

Located in the west central part of
Nigeria, Minna is a quiet and loveable
commercial city. This beautiful town
was a collection point for agricultural
produce way back then. According to
history, Minna was a labour camp for
railway construction and this led to
the gradual development of the town
to now a major commercial city. The
populace in this area are involved in
all sorts of farming. This town is not
densely populated and it has a blend
of several cultures and life styles.
Minna has some notable tourist sites
to her name amongst which are the
Gurara falls, Baro port (which was
used in the colonial days for
transport), The Wushishi Transway
engine (First railway Locomotive
engine and others like Kainji lake
national park that is not so far from
the city. Electricity is very constant
because of the proximity of the Kainji
Dam to the town. Food,
accommodation, transport and
general life style here is quite
affordable.


6. Enugu

Popularly known as ‘coal city’, a
pseudonym that was given to Enugu
due to its mining activities.. Located
at the south-eastern part of Nigeria,
it’s the state capital of Enugu. It’s
described as one of the oldest urban
areas within the region. Her populace
are involved in agriculture, besides
the mining of coal and other solid
minerals. Enugu is loved by so many
not just for ‘coal’ but for its notable
tourist destinations like Nike Holiday
Resort, Iva Valley (coal mine) and the
famous Nmanwu Cultural Festival.
The road network here is well
designed with so many state of the
art buildings (complexes and malls).
In general, it is highly commercialised
and life in Enugu is like living on a
fast lane.


7. Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt is a coastal city with
scenic shorelines. This city as
described by tourist is a “centre of
black jewel (oil)”. It is known as the
Garden city because of its greenery
and aesthetic parks within the
metropolis. This city is the state
capital of Rivers located in the south-
south region of Nigeria. This town is
known for its level of commerce as
far back as 1912 due to the presence
of the sea port (used for exports).
This city is densely populated and full
of industrial activities. It is home to
so many multinational companies,
most of which are affiliated to oil
and gas. Port-Harcourt city is loved
for numerous reasons but most for
its wealth as a result of oil. She is
home to many tourist sites such as
Sea Ports, Isaac Boro Park,
Monument of Jaja, Bony Island, Ifoko
Beach, the oil refineries, the tourist
beach etc. The standard of living
here is high and this spans across
food, shelter and clothing. The city is
well known for its lively and dynamic
nightlife.

8. Uyo

Once adjudged the neatest city in
Nigeria, Uyo is a cool, calm, classy
and serene destination. Also in
South-eastern Nigeria, it is the
capital of Akwa Ibom, a major oil
producing state in the country. The
city is loved for its peace and
serenity among other things.
Although life in Uyo is quite
expensive, people don’t mind because
of the low crime and crisis rate. The
inhabitants are predominantly
farmers and traders. With the
increased level of infrastructural
growth and human development, Uyo
is definitely a place to look out for.
The Ibom connection and Le Meridien
Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Ibom
Tropicana Resort and other projects
under construction are some of the
soon to be bubbling spots in the
area.

9. Kano

The city of Kano is the capital of
Kano state in Northern Nigeria. The
second largest city in Nigeria, Kano
is the second major seat of the
Hausas/Fulanis, the other being
Sokoto. Kano is an ancient city and
is the pride of most Northerners. The
city boasts an international airport
and a number of tourist attractions
including Bagauda Lake/Tiga Lake
Resort Man-made, Tourist Camp,
Audu Bako Zoo, Gidan Makama
Museum Monument/Museum and
Kofar Mata Dyeing Pit among others.
The major festival is the Durbar
festival hosted by the Emir of Kano
to mark and celebrate the two annual
Muslim festivals Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid al-
Adha. The majority of the populace
are farmers which is no surprise
since Kano is considered the most
extensively irrigated with over 3
million hectares of land suitable for
cultivation.


10. Warri
It’s one of the biggest cities In Delta
state. Located on the Lower Niger/
Delta coast line. Its not the state
capital but it’s more popular and has
a lot of history compared to Asaba
the capital. Its an old town known
for oil production and the presence
of the traditional kingdom Warri,
dated back as far as the 15th and
16th century. Its a port town that
has a lot of industrial activities (oil
and steel). People from this notable
town are called wafarians, known for
business and tourism. The presence
of oil has a ripple effect on its
commerce. Tourism here is huge as
tourist are exposed to attractions like
the palace of the Olu of Warri, Nama
palace, Koko Red Mangrove Swamp,
Effurun Garden Park, beaches and
resorts.

11. Lagos

It’s the most populous city in
according to population census. It is
also known as the economic capital
of Nigeria. This mega city is
separated by water bodies into two
main parts (Island and Mainland). It
is located in the south-western part
of Nigeria. Lagos is known for
commerce, filled with industries from
all economic sectors. The road
network is next to none and it boasts
of a good number of tall buildings
and sky scrappers. The nightlife in
this city is as busy as the day,
painted with a lot malls, clubs,
restaurants and bars. Visitors will
always have a first class experience
in terms of buying and selling. Lagos
has local and international markets
of all kind. The coastline makes
Lagos a ravishing beauty!


12. Ilorin

Ilorin is a very interesting city. It’s a
city that has not really being in the
lime light but is surprisingly one of
the largest cities in Nigeria. The
capital of Kwara, Ilorin is located in
the North Central region of the
country. As quiet as Ilorin seems, it
has an international cargo airport, a
20,000 capacity stadium and the only
standard base ball Court in West
Africa. Ilorin is also home to several
prominent “learned” men and women
as the legal profession is really
strong there. Ilorin is blessed with
several natural resources and the
standard of living is affordable.
Pottery and traditional textile industry
among others are thriving businesses
there also. Tourist attractions in the
area include the Esie museum and
the stately Sobi Hill; and that is why
it is one of the most loved cities in
Nigeria.