Lagos is a beautiful city that hosts people of different backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Lagos is the prime entertainment capital of Nigeria. Due to the hustle and bustle often associated with Lagos, there is always the need to kick back and relax. There are several options and places to hang out as a group throughout the city of Lagos.
Some of them are:
1. Go to the beach
The metropolis of Lagos has a lot of beaches due to its closeness to the Gulf of Guinea. There are several beaches in Lagos that you can visit as a group at relatively cheap prices. The Landmark leisure beach, Lagos is a private beach that you can visit with friends. Entry fee is 2000 naira per adult and 1000 naira for children above the age of thirteen. There is also the La Campagne Tropicana beach with an entry price of 5000 naira. The Tarkwa Bay beach is only accessible by boats or water taxis with an admission fee of 200 naira. At these beaches, you can swim, kayak, ride in a boat and indulge in other water sports.
2. Visit the New Afrika Shrine
The New Afrika Shrine located in Ikeja, Lagos is an open-air entertainment centre. The annual Felabration music festival is usually held at the Shrine. It was built by African musical legend and Afrobeats pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his elder sister, Yeni. The New Afrika Shrine is a replacement for the Afrika Shrine that was created in 1970 by Fela Kuti.
The New Afrika Shrine exhibits photos of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and music performances by his sons; Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti. Admission into the New Afrika Shrine is free and the Shrine is open 24/7. At the New Afrika Shrine, you can enjoy the art and walk down memory lane. Also, there is a Fuji show at the Shrine every first Saturday of the month. Femi and Seun Kuti also perform at the Shrine whenever they are in town. There is also a food court where you can get snacks like asun, small chops and shawarma.
3. Visit Freedom Park
Freedom Park is a memorial park in Lagos. It was formerly Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison. It was built in 1861 by the British colonialists and important people in the history of Nigeria like Herbert Macaulay, Michael Imodu, Anthony Enahoro and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The prison was closed a hundred years later in 1971, pulled down in 1979 and was a dumping ground until the 1990s when plans were drawn up for the Freedom Park. Freedom Park was reconstructed to preserve the cultural heritage of the Nigerian people. Designed by architect, Theo Lawson, entry fee into the Freedom Park is 200 naira per individual. At the Freedom Park, you can visit the museum complex to see pictures and artifacts from the old Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison. The old prison block was converted into a food court, the gallows became an open-air stage. Freedom Park is a place to relax while experiencing history.
4. Visit Terra Kulture
Terra Kulture is an educational and recreational organization established in 2003 to promote the richness and diversity of Nigerian languages, arts and culture. Terra Kulture is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Over the years, Terra Kulture has hosted 300 art exhibitions, 140 plays and over 70 book readings. The restaurant at Terra Kulture is the longest-serving African restaurant in Nigeria. The tables and chairs used in Terra Kulture’s Food Lounge are carved from trees. At Terra Kulture, you can enjoy the art exhibits, and the food or even take a Nigerian languages class. At the restaurant, there are also menus in braille for the visually impaired. You can also see musicals like “Fela’s Republic and The Kalakuta Queens” or “Moremi The Musical.”
5. Visit the Lufasi Nature Park
The Lufasi Park is a nature park located along the Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos. Entry fee into the park is 1000 naira per adult and 500 naira for children. Lufasi is an acronym for Lekki Urban Forestry and Animal Shelter Initiative. It is a Non-Governmental Organization established in 2013 to preserve natural habitats in urban areas. It was founded by environmental activist, Desmond Majekodunmi. It is a shelter for endangered species of animals. At the Lufasi Park, you will see the hooded vulture, African pied hornbill, pangolins West African dwarf sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats and many others. There are also ironwood trees, cashew trees, Ekki wood trees and many others. There are two artificial lakes in the Park: Lake Moses and Lake Nora. The Lufasi Park is a prime spot for hiking and birdwatching.
6. Visit the Lekki Conservation Centre
The Lekki Conservation Centre is a flora (plant) and fauna (animal) protection program in Lekki, Lagos. The Conservation Centre was founded in 1990 as a way to preserve and protect rare plants and wildlife of Southwest Nigeria from extinction. The Lekki Conservation Centre boasts of the longest canopy walkway on Africa. There are also animals, birds and reptiles like monkeys, owls, peacocks, alligators and crocodiles. There are also life-sized board games with giant pieces available. Games like chess, ludo and snakes and ladders are available. The chess pieces can also be repurposed and used to play draughts and checkers.
7. Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park
The Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park is a public park in Ikeja, Lagos. The park was commissioned by the former Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode in December 2017. Entry into the park is free but if you are coming as a group, you are required to pay a sum of 10,000 naira. The park is named after three former Governors of Lagos: Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson RTD, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. At the park you can take pictures in front of Tinubu’s Statue,the dry fountain or even plan a picnic.
8. Go to the cinema
In a busy city like Lagos, there will be cinemas and film houses. To relax from stress and also hang out with friends, you can go to the cinema to watch a movie. There are several cinemas in Lagos to choose from. Some of them are: IMAX Filmhouse Cinema, Silverbird Cinemas, Genesis Deluxe Cinema, Ozone Cinema, Viva Cinema and others.
9. Go to the Maryland Mall
The Maryland Mall is also known as “the Big Black Box.” It is located along Ikorodu road, Ikeja, Lagos. At the Maryland Mall, you can watch a movie at the Genesis Deluxe Cinema, enjoy Nigerian and intercontinental dishes at the food court, you can also shop at the mall, play games at the arcade or go roller skating at Skate City for a price of 2000 naira.
10. Go to the Nike Centre for Arts and Culture
The Nike Centre for Arts and Culture is an art gallery owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye. Entry into the gallery is free. The Nike Centre for Arts and Culture boasts collections of 8000 diverse artworks from various Nigerian artists like Chief Josephine Oboh Macleod. With a massive building of 5 storeys, the Nike Centre for Arts and Culture is the largest gallery in West Africa.