Lagos vs. Abuja vs. Port Harcourt - The Battle of Nigerian Cities

Lagos vs. Abuja vs. Port Harcourt - The Battle of Nigerian Cities

Okay, which was a bigger hit? Banky W’s Lagos Party or Duncan Mighty’s Port Harcourt Boy? Okay, don’t answer that. But notice how nobody ever sings about Abuja? Like there is no song, no song at all, that I know off that extols and praises the city. Dead place. Okay, maybe not really. But Abuja is really just where politicians have established a dominance.

But let’s get serious for a bit and do an intensive city comparison among these popular Nigerian cities all amazing places to live and work with by their own right, but when it comes down to the deciding factors, which cities have an advantage over the other? There is always the question of ‘between Lagos and Abuja which is more developed?’. ‘Which is better to live in between Lagos and Abuja?’ ‘What are the differences between Lagos and Abuja?’. Well we added Port Harcourt to this Battle of Nigerian Cities to make it a little bit more interesting.

What are the metrics and parameters we would be using?

Population density. Ease of Transportation. Hotels, Restaurants, and Pubs. Cost of Living – Housing, the price of foodstuffs etc. Employment Opportunities. 

Population Density.Without the help of statistics, we know Lagos wins this one. I mean, everyone from the village has carried their Ghana-must-go and come to Lagos. Winning this isn’t necessarily a plus. The city is overcrowded and overburdened. Its infrastructure can not bear the weight of its close to 20 million people in its 1171 km square of land.

Lagos – 6871/km square

Abuja – 439/km square

Port Harcourt – 2726/km square

Ease of Transportation.

BRT’s in Lagos with dedicated lanes,  Uber cars, ferry transportation over the lagoon. But it still has some of the most insane traffic conditions in the world. Abuja has an amazing road network. Wide lanes. Less amount of cars on the road compared to Lagos.Abuja on the other hand, has an amazing road network - wide lanes and less amounts of cars on the road compared to Lagos. No rickety buses, danfo’s & molues either. Port Harcourt has a fairly good road network too, less population density so, way less traffic, because of a low number of commercial transport operators, and it can take too long for commuters to get vehicles to their destinations and there’re frustrating pockets of traffic in hot spots. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja recorded a total of 6,183, 603 passengers in 2012; Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos had a total of 6,879,286 passengers in the same year, while the Port Harcourt International Airport had 1,256,854 passengers in the same year.

Hotels, Restaurants and Pubs

Okay, so here is what I did to determine the numbers for this. For Hotels in these cities, I simply used an online hotel booking platform to determine the number of hotels they have in their database. Pretty straight forward, as the numbers show, Lagos has the most hotels in the country. I suspect they would be rivaled only by Owerri, story for another day. Then for restaurants and bars, I don’t know any company that keeps a database of restaurants and bars, so I simply typed Restaurants in Lagos in the Google search bar and the number of results that displayed is taken for the popularity of the term. So there. Lagos leads in its population of Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs and Bars. So if you are the city hopping type, you know which city you are likely to have a hotel, restaurant or bar around you than anywhere else. Wait, I should have done a search for Clubs, okay, maybe do that yourself and show us your numbers.

Lagos – over 1461 Hotels, 11m restaurants, 401k Pubs, 17m  Bars

Abuja – over 412 Hotels, 459k restaurants, 275k Pubs, 443 Bars

Port Harcourt – over 296 Hotels, 394k, 391k Pubs, 352k Bars

Cost of Living

Houses in  Abuja are expensive. What!!!??? And in Lagos too, but not as expensive as in Abuja.

The average cost of renting a 3 bedroom flat in Abuja based on my research is N1,500,000. In Lagos, it is a bit tricky especially with the whole Island – Mainland dichotomy. But on the average, 3 bedroom flat on the Island goes for N8 Million. On the mainland the average is N800,000. In Port Harcourt, the average is about the same with mainland Lagos at about N800,000. Prices of food, water, clothing, foodstuffs are all indices in determining cost of living, but for the sake of convenience and brevity, we can determine that Abuja has a higher cost of living than Port Harcourt and Lagos.

Employment Opportunities

Lagos has the highest concentration of Bank Head offices in the country, as well as several other offices in different industries. Port Harcourt has the highest concentration of Oil and Gas related companies. Abuja is mostly government ministries and parastatals. Be that as it may, Lagos still records the highest number of internal migration within the country. Accounting for its swelling population. But while the entire economic outlook might not point to the availability of jobs, its numbers is enough to encourage entrepreneurs and traders who take advantage of providing one service or the other for its teeming mass.

So there you have it, our analysis which we would leave you to decide which is your most desirous city to live in. Tell us in the comment section, let’s know your feedback.

Traveling Nigeria On A Budget

A bird has gotta fly. 

Recession or not. What is a traveler like you going to do? Travel. You have no choice really. What it now behooves you to do is to find the means to travel on a budget. 

1. Book Online. The benefits of making bookings for your flight, bus or hotel stay online can not be over emphasized. You stand to enjoy special discounts rates that are available and save time. And if the old adage that time is money is true then booking online and saving time would invariably save you money too. God is Good bus service offers 10% off rates when you book online.

 

2. Screen and Substitute. So you want to go skinny dipping in a pool on your trip to Enugu, What you can do is check in at the Vinbecca Hotel and Bar which is less than N5,000 per night and a great hotel to spend your stay in the city despite the lack of a swimming facility, and then when its time for your body to wade in the sun reflected waters of the city, take a walk down to The Gate Luxury Apartmentsit at the pool, snap your fingers at the waiter to get you a drink, and swim till the sun goes down.

 

3. Travel during the off Season. Avoid traveling on long weekends.  By that I mean weekends that have public holidays attached to. Avoid traveling during any holiday period at all. If you must, make your bookings early enough. Transport services, hoteliers and the likes usually take advantage of cashing in during this period against a long period of lull.

4. Don’t travel alone. Traveling with a partner helps split the cost. Hotel rooms especially.  No, you cannot lap your traveling partner from Lagos to Abuja, haba.

 

5. Use available public transportation. While in the city of your destination avoid the temptation to go about in a cab or Uber. Hear that sound? That’s the sound of hard coins dropping onto the pavement every time you hail a cab. Talk to locals, ask for directions, enter a bus, or ride a camel if you are up north. You account balance will thank you.

 

City Hopping in Naija

City Hopping in Naija

I had always said I wanted to have a friend in every state in Nigeria, not because I am entirely that friendly, but because I wanted to have a person I can call on if I ever found myself stranded in a city. Or bored and needed someone to show me around. This plan didn’t entirely go well with connections I started out making being that most were students who were studying in a different city and would eventually relocate back home after their studies and yet again be flung somewhere else when it was time to do the mandatory NYSC service. It was beginning to sound like a really clumsy plan, even though it made a lot of sense in my head at the time. Plus, close family were beginning to send request on Facebook so I completely abandoned that social media account. Didn’t want family meetings called on my behalf over Facebook posts which I might have considered harmless banter but frowned upon by old fashioned parents and aunts and uncles.

A while ago, I told my friends when they begin fixing wedding dates they should do so with three considerations in mind. The first being that it shouldn’t be during the rainy season, the second was that that it should not be during football season, unless they planned to install a TV screen where can catch up on matches while they said their vows. The third was that it should be spaced, lets not have two weddings clashing on the same day. I’ll simply sit at home and disappoint everyone equally. But what are friends if they ever listen to you. In the space of two weeks I received wedding invitations from a roommate in University and from another from secondary school, and my worse nightmare was coming through right before my eyes. August 20th. In two different cities. How on earth would I be able to pull this off? Even after I had said I would sit at home if this ever happened and disappoint everyone equally, I didn’t have the nerve to follow through with it. These guys were really dear to me. Deep inside I wished someone would call off or postpone their wedding. It was a mean thought that I discarded. Thankfully enough, I wasn’t on the groom train for either of the events, which was fantastic, because it would have been impossible not to disappoint one for the other.

So I started making plans.

Port Harcourt for one wedding, Warri for the other.  I lived in Lagos. Really this was doable. I only just needed to show face and made sure I took a picture with the couple. If it was rice, there was rice at home.

I finalized plans on what I would wear to both weddings, on one hand I wanted to wear the same outfit, I figured it would be good for laughs when photos showed how I was at two different cities for two weddings wearing the same outfit. On the other hand, I wanted to keep it fresh and dapper at each event, so I don’t lose the respect put on my name. 

But what about accommodation? I didn’t know anyone in Warri, nor in Port Harcourt. Okay I knew people. The two fellows getting married. But I couldn’t bother them on where to stay in Warri or Port Harcourt, planning a wedding alone was enough stress. I was going to go to Warri first. Spend a night there, and attended the wedding, fly to Port Harcourt to Osawe’s wedding right after I spent exactly two hours at Franks wedding. 

I had assured them I’d make it after a put them both on a conference call right after I got the invitation and it was settled, couldn’t be bothering them with accommodation plans on my behalf. Off I went to book hotels online. I was sure I could get something nice if I booked online. I wasn’t even exactly bothered about the price, for these guys, I could splurge a bit.

 

I began my search and quickly found the Protea in Warri already I was wishing I had a female companion with me to hop the cities with. There was a car hire service that could take me from the hotel to the venue which made it super convenient. Free Wi-Fi too,  I could finally update all my apps and my entire OS. Sweet! After browsing for a little over 5 minutes I found The Golden Tulip hotelin Port Harcourt, which was just perfect for me.  It was in close proximity with the reception venue, and there was free internet again as well as complimentary breakfast which I knew I would need after a long day the next morning. I booked, paid and confirmed. Then as I was just going to go get lunch I received an email from my boss. Apparently,  I was due for a presentation in Abuja on Monday, the 22nd. Thankfully I hadn’t closed the tab, I booked the Bolton White Apartments right away, this at least was going to be on the company’s tab as well as my flight tickets. Accommodation sorted in both cities, I had a great feeling it was going to be an amazing weekend. In hindsight, Ii was right. It turned out to be super duper fabulous.

<img src="https://cdn-travel.jumia.com/web_hotel_detail_gallery/protea-hotel-warri-21404-c71bfa3dd1a600ba166b984e4567ee8d1194af22.JPG" alt="protea-hotel-warri">

10 Cheapest Hotels in Abuja

The Independence week is upon us. 56 hearty cheers to Nigeria my people. Come on, there’s so much to be excited for. Lets not let current economic outlook dampen our spirits. Now if you have made plans to be in Abuja for the Independence Day celebrations or for any other business, or pleasure for that matter here is a list of the 10 Cheapest Hotels you can stay in during the anniversary celebrations. Now, you would know that Cheap Hotels does not mean, bad, or not good enough, it just means the rates are budget friendly and suitable work with if you want to enjoy your stay but cut down on excesses regardless, considering the fact that there’s still school fees to pay and company accountant isn’t even going to approve some kind of monies spent anyhow in this period of trial.

Everyone, new comers into the city can easily get scared about hotels in Abuja and their rates but there are good hotels in  Abuja that offer good value for money. Now, these hotels, despite being called cheap, offer some of the best services available and hold the highest standard possible in hospitality, giving their guests nothing short of a memorable stay that often guarantees repeat visits and excellent reviews and recommendation.

Tranquil Mews Boutique Hotel

Price: N12, 000

 

Tranquil Mews located in Utako is a tastefully furnished and designed hotel located right behind the Julius Berger head office, making it a prime stay for construction expatriates in the city on business. The hotel is a 38 minute drive from the Airport. With room service, free internet, air-conditioning, airport shuttle, laundry services, safety deposit boxes. Tranquil Mews Boutique Hotel is a great bargain for your stay in Abuja.

Newland Luxury Hotel

 

Price: N11,400

Just as their name implies,  Newland provides Luxury on a budget. Nestled in the Wuse Zone area of Abuja, Newland Luxury Hotel is accessible from vantage points around the city. 9 minutes away from the Federal Secretariat, 7 minutes from the International Stadium and a little of 30 minutes from the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Newland is ideal for guests with multiple destinations within the city.

Kanem Suites

Price: N14,662

 

Kanem Suites located in Utako provides comfort and luxury for guests at an affordable rate making it one of the most recommended hotels for stays in Abuja. Room rates come with a complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kanem Suites is a 5 minute drive to Jabi Lake, where visitors can escape the noise of the city for a while and commune with nature and if you are in the city for business the Federal Secretariat is just 10 minutes away from the hotel.

Royal Tropicana Hotel

Price: N18,000

Royal Tropicana has the advantage of being very close to the International Airport in Abuja making it a prime choice for traveling visitors and guests. The hotel has a swimming pool, sauna, gym and spa for recreational, general body wellness and fitness. Offers free internet to guests. Room rates also come with complimentary breakfast. Rooms are air conditioned and the on site restaurant and bar .

Ajoy Hotel and Suites

Price: N12,000

 

Ajoy Hotel and Suites in Gwarinmpa is the model budget friendly hotel. Great accommodation offerings at just the right price and the necessary essentials. Free internet, Cable Television in rooms, en-suite bathroom and toilets, complimentary breakfast, room services, complimentary copies of National newspapers and above all a courteous and friendly staff.

The Weavers Hotel

Price: N12,000

Located in the Central Business District of Abuja, the Weavers Hotel is the businessman’s cabana bargain. Facilities include on site parking, airport shuttle, air-conditioned rooms, complimentary breakfasts, on site restaurant that prepares meals at the request of guests and free internet access.

The hotel also offers airport pickup services which can be arranged when booking and reservations have been made. He Weavers hotel is close to the Eagle Square and the Federal Secretariat. 

Trafford Hotel

 

Price: N14,000

What do you want your average hotel to provide you? What are the basics that would guarantee a comfortable stay? Lets cross check them. Internet. Gym, cant afford to lose form in one trip. Air-Conditioned rooms. Well stocked bar. TV with cable stations, can’t also afford to miss out on Football action on weekends you are away from home. What else? Trafford Hotel has everything covered.

Ritman Hotels

 

Price: N9,500

Ritman Hotel is in close proximity to the Abuja Zoological Park and the National Stadium so if and when you are in the city for sightseeing, it is certainly a place you want to lodge in. The hotel has internet facilities made available for guests, sufficient parking space, air conditioned rooms, on site restaurant that provides guests with meals and a bar that serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Laundry services are also available at an extra fee.

Purple Tulip Hotel

 

Price: N10,000

Purple Tulip offers guests an amazingly good experience with dedicated staff on hand to ensure visitors get the best out of their stay at the Purple Tulip.  Rooms come air conditioned, with great bed furnishings in a neat and comfortable space. There is free internet service available to guests. A swimming pool and fitness is also on ground for relaxation and fitness regime of guests. Purple Tuip also has facilities for business meetings and events hosting.

Chateau De Trybze

Price: N12,500

Just a minutes walk from the Chateau De Trybze brings you to the Silverbird Cinemas and Shoprite Mall which means, shopping for your favorite and most needed items during your stay at the Chateau De Trybze as well as taking time off from your schedule to see a move would prove no difficulty at all. The rooms at the Chateau De Trybze are comfortable, clean and up to standard. Rooms are also air conditioned and have Flat TV screens that show cable stations. Guests can also request for laundry services, airport pick up and drop off and car hire at considerate price.