Lagos or Abuja?

Lagos has a lot going for it, being the original capital of Nigeria.  I have spoken to a lot of true 'Lagosians' who tell me that they would not live in Abuja as they find it too boring.  However, the people who live in Abuja do not want to live in Lagos because it's too hectic.  So let's do a comparison.

Both cities have a lot to offer.  Although Abuja is the capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Lagos is till known as the commercial capital of our country.  As I understand it, when Abuja was first created, the move of the government agencies, civil service and ministries caused a bit of an uproar.   The  people who worked for the above mentioned had been living in Lagos for ages and were suddenly being uprooted to go to what was then essentially an empty town.  So the transition began and earlier on, people would work in Abuja during the week and go back to Lagos at the weekend so Abuja was like a ghost town over the weekends.  With time, this has changed and now everyone is  more or less settled.

The main plus of Abuja for most people is that there is nowhere as much traffic as there is in Lagos, so it doesn't take hours to get from one part of town to the next.  Overall, the city of Abuja is also cleaner than Lagos (so I've been told).

For people relocating from abroad, e.g. Europe, USA etc, the expatriates might find Abuja a bit more sane to live in and it is more likely to be recommended for those seeking a family life.

The plus side of Lagos is the hustle and bustle (if you like that sort of thing), it is definitely the place where most of the business deals take place so business men who have decided to settle in Abuja with their families still travel to Lagos for business on a regular basis.