Why it looks like this

The original city is Lagos Island (Isale Eko), squeezed between the lagoon and the harbour mouth; Portuguese traders named the place for its waters. The colonial and business districts grew on the island, with Ikoyi and Victoria Island beside it — while the mainland grew everything else.

That geography funnels one of the world's most famous traffic problems: millions cross daily between mainland and islands over three bridges, including the 11.8 km Third Mainland Bridge. Around the water, Africa's largest megacity spreads outward in vast, mostly self-built districts.