Amuwo-Odofin
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Amuwo-Odofin is a community of 1.5 million people (2006) in Lagos City. It includes Festac Town a federal housing estate named after the Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture that was held there in 1977, and Satellite Town, a suburb and state housing estate that was set up by the Lagos state government in 1960 to support and help government workers become land and house owners.
Understand
Amuwo-Odofin is a local government area (LGA).
Oriade LCDA is made up of Abule-osun, Agboju, Ibeshe, Ijegun, Irede, Kirikir, and Kuje wards, while Amuwo LCDA is made up of Ado-soba, Ekoakete, Ifelodun, Ilado Tamaro, Irepodun, Odofin, and Orire wards. Amuwo Odofin LGA is divided into
There are 67 settlements spread among the 14 wards, 12 of which are urban, 8 semi-urban, and 47 rural. The population density in Amuwo Odofin LGA is roughly 300,000 persons/km².
The Aworis are the majority of the inhabitants of Amuwo-Odofin. Elegba, Oro, Sangbeto, and Igunuko are some of the festivities that the people participate in. Traditional rulers of the area are the caretakers of culture and custom. Obas, Chiefs, and Baales of repute abound throughout the Local Government. Oba Mobadenle Obalade Oyekan, Onilado of the Ilado/Inagbe Islands, and Oba Lateef Olayinka Ado, Fabuwa 1, Alado of Ado Land are among them.
Because of its proximity to the border, international trade has taken root in the area, with people of all ethnicities engaging in a variety of trading enterprises. The people's hospitality has drawn people from other ethnic communities in Nigeria, particularly the Igbos, who make up more over half of the population.
The history of Festac can be traced back to 1977, when the Second World Black and African Festival Arts and Culture was held here. Festac is an housing estate owned by the federal government that was built to accomodate the participants of the festival. It was intended to evoke modern age, state of the art, backed by promise of state sponsored economic development from accumulated oil revenues.though the festival was planned to be held in 1975 under general yakubu Gowon regime, it was later held in 1977 under general olusegun Obasanjo's regime. Festac was known as Festival town until the name Festac emerged. The town is very big, as it is composed of over 5,000 dwelling units with 7 major avenues. The town was designed to accommodate well over 45,000 visitors as well as officials of the contest.
Snake Island, named after its elongated shape (14 kilometers long and 1.4 kilometers broad), is located across the water from Tin Can Island Port in Apapa. The island isn't as developed as some of Nigeria's other islands.
Get in
- 1 GIGM Buses, 1st Ave, Festac Town. Longer distance air-conditioned bus services, super comfortable.
You can also get into Festac Town by either boarding a bus (danfo), Lagos popular yellow bus plying the route. which the price ranges from destination to destination depending on where you are coming from, However, the price is ₦100-1000.
Another way to get in is by using the popular car-hailing services like Uber, Bolt, In-driver, and others, book a ride online, select your destination as Festac Town, and just from the comfort of your home, a car comes to pick you up to your location and the driver takes you to Festac straightaway.
You can access Festac via Apapa Oworonshoki Expressway, 19.5 km (29 min) or Bayo shodipo/AI (35 min).
- Coconut Bust Stop Jetty, Coconut Bus Stop (the trip to Snake Island begins at the Coconut Bus Stop jetty, which is along the busy Apapa-Oshodi Expressway; residents arrive in the city using outboard-powered wooden or fibre boats). Passengers in wooden boats are charged ₦100, whilst 15 passengers on a chartered fibre boat are charged ₦1000.
Get around
If you are not on a tight budget, you should hire a tricycle which usually comes with a driver, usually available from most of the major hotels. The price varies from driver to driver, but it should be around ₦500-1,000 per hour, and you will be expected to haggle. Talk to the drivers and find one you think you will be able to communicate best with, as they will be able to tell you things about the places you pass.
Motorcycle riders offer more of a drop-off service, and are not the best option for someone touring the town with the expectation for the rider to talk about various locations' history. The service charge is around ₦150-300 per trip (drop-off).
See
- 1 Lagos Trade Fair Complex, Satellite Town. Complex constructed in the 1970s to host trade fairs and now home to market traders.
- 2 Nigerdock, Snake Island, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State. A shipyard, Nigeria's first dry dockyard. Built with Polish assistance in 1970, and can accommodate a large number of heavy-duty ships.
Do
Some of the festivals embraced by the people are Elegba, Oro, Sangbeto and Igunuko festivals.
Festac Town is a really nice place to be, so the tourist should ensure they move around Festac Town, appreciate the buildings, appreciate the serene environment and all. A tourist should ensure they do this and visit these places:
- 1 SUNFIT Fitness, Spa, Accommodation, 329 Rabiu Babatunde Tinubu Rd, Festac Town, ☏ +234 809 632 0300. When you get to Festac, ensure you visit this resort center. It gives a wonderful experience of privacy, lush greenery, pools and relaxation. ₦15,700.
- 2 Silverbird Cinemas, Festival Mall, FESTAC, Golden Tulip Festac Lagos, Amuwo Odofin Festival Mall, Festac Town, Lagos, ☏ +234 802 976 7669. 10AM-10PM. Silverbird cinema as a very good customer service and a very good serene atmosphere to watch your movie. ₦800-₦2500.
- 3 Lighthouse Beach (beside Tarkwa Bay). Named after the 110-year-old lighthouse that guards the entrance to Lagos harbour. The Lighthouse can just be seen from the beach, and is well worth a visit as well. The walk along the beach between Tarkwa Bay and Lighthouse Beach is very pleasant– and at times one can be the only person on the beach. You can watch the many ships queuing up to enter the port on the nearby horizon.
- 4 Tarkwa Bay. A man-made bay and beach created during the formation of the Lagos harbour, sheltered within the harbour breakwater. Accessible by boat only. It is easily accessible by boat from Tarzan Jetty at Maroko (the fare is cheap), or under Falomo bridge on Victoria Island. Boat can be hired opposite American/Indian Embassy. You can also board water taxis for about ₦300 (as of 2011) per trip. The beach is a pleasant outing and has safe bathing even for children. It has its own resident community, most of whom make their living from the tourists who visit the beach. The beach is good for a one-day picnic because of the absence of hotels and restaurants on it. You can buy good paintings and handicrafts from the local vendors on the beach. There's also the possibility to surf in a corner of Tarkwa Bay. Other water sports such as jet-skiing and water-skiing are fairly common. The last boats leave Tarkwa Bay at 5PM.
Buy
- Payless mall, 5th Avenue, A Cl, Festac.
- 1 Shoprite Festival Mall, Festival Mall, Janet Fajemigbesin St, Festac Town. Do not leave Festac Town without seeing the popular Shoprite festival mall, which is a very big shopping mall with cinemas and other fun stuff to enjoy yourself with. It also offers In-store shopping, In-store pick-up, Delivery.
- Shop TopUp - Festac Depot, Shop 8, Gacoun Plaza, 23 Rd, Festac Town 102102, Lagos, ☏ +234 700 555 0555. One of the largest markets in Festac Town.
Except you are in a store or eatery/bar with fixed costs, you will be relied upon to negotiate or bargain the value you pay for a thing down to the least the seller would sell. Festac vendors normally camp at a spot selling anything from new food things like tomatoes, fish, vegetables, potatoes to drinks. Expect any top-of-the-line attire and embellishments brand names (Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and so on) in these casual business sectors to be phony, and should you wish to buy them focus on an exceptionally low cost. Shopping at the neighborhood market is typically done with cash as they don't have POS machines for credit-only exchanges, grocery stores, eatery/bar acknowledges credit-only exchange, for example, POS and cash move.
Assuming you hold a Visa, MasterCard credit/check card you can pull out cash in Naira from different ATMs around Festac. Most banks' ATMs acknowledge both Visa and Mastercards.
There are various markets in Festac Town where you can have access to varieties of products, ranging from food stuffs to equipments,materials.
- Ahonsi market is popularly known as 23rd market, it is the biggest market in Festac town.
- Agboju market, 2nd avenue, opp 22road, Festac town
- Oyinlola Ifelodun market, 23rd, Festac Town
- Akinjoe Small Market, Satellite Town, Babatunde Street, Satellite Town.
Eat
- Mama Ada Restaurant, Maza Maza, 29 Fashinro St, ☏ +234 803 856 7444.
- Paradise Restaurant.
- Shawarma spot, 41 Road, H Cl, Festac Town, ☏ +234 810 931 4331.
- Paula Restaurant, 311 Rd, Festac Town, ☏ +234 903 816 0585.
- Three Brothers Restaurant, 72 Rd, Festac Town.
- God Is Good Restaurant, Alahun Osunba St.
- Good Mama's Kitchen, Maza Maza 22 Fashinro St.
- Madam BigBen Restaurants, Plot 777 Festac Access Rd, ☏ +234 803 772 8292.
- Musbau Restaurant, 87 Old Ojo Rd.
- Hotspot foodie, I Close 7, Festac Town, ☏ +234 803 831 7569.
- Paradise Restaurant, No 53 Old Ojo Rd, ☏ +234 01 288 2521.
- Faith Restaurant, 87 Old Ojo Rd, ☏ +234 806 352 1436.
- Mama Do Good Canteen, 21 Road Junction, Fesatc, 2nd Ave. Daily 9AM-9PM. Dealer in all kinds of local dish
- De Tastee Fried Chicken, 22 Road 2nd Ave, Festac Town, ☏ +234 807 549 1222. Daily 9AM-9PM. Perfect Location to enjoy a nice meal.
Drink
- Chillers Bar And Restaurant, 6 Ausbeth Ajagu St,, ☏ +234 818 491 5981.
- Adanma Bar, Beside A Close, Festac Town, ☏ +234 802 541 2571.
- La-Vida Lounge, 2021 Ago Palace Way, Festac Town.
- Golden Grove Bar, 13 Ijegun Egba Rd, Satellite Town.
- Zizi’s Sports Bar & Lounge, 18A PLOT 2018 Lagos, Festac Access Rd, ☏ +234 809 382 8359.
- Dynasty Sports Bar & Lounge, Festival mall, ☏ +234 818 655 2193.
- apex bar, 511 Rd 'A' Cl, Festac Town.
- Ibiza Outdoor Bar And Night Club, ☏ +234 811 823 4298.
- Barbados Bar, 322 Road, I Cl, Festac Town.
- FADA Restaurant and Bar, 401road, block 5, flat 4 Amuwo local government, Festac Town, ☏ +234 908 298 1364.
- Exclusive classic bar, 22 Road, A Cl, Festac Town.
- 1 Full House Club and Bar, ☏ +234 806 927 0015.
Sleep
- 1 Dionzec Hotel & Suites, Plot 993,13th Road, Cavera Estate, 6th Avenue Festac Town. Free parking. Restaurant. Breakfast. Air conditioning. Double from ₦16,800.
- 2 Paris Suites, 6th Avenue, 421 Road B close, Cavera Estate Festac Town. Fitness centre, swimming pool, WiFi, breakfast, parking. Double from ₦10,000.
- Opera Classic Suite, 102, Festac Link Road, by Raji Rasaki Junction, ☏ +234 806 751 6500. #8,000.
- Oak Hotel. #4,500.
- De Santiago Milan Hotels And Suites, Plot 3088, Block 24b, 26b Festac Access Rd, ☏ +234 908 293 2697.
- Dublina Suites, 4th Avenue, G Cl, Festac Town, ☏ +234 814 296 5961. #12,000.
- Newton Hotels, Plot 628A, First Avenue, By 4th Avenue Junction, Festac Town, ☏ +234 706 248 6887.
- Flamingo Hotel, 4th Avenue , House 1 Close, Festac Town. #9,000.
- Rownez Resort, Plot 907, 14 Cavera Rd, 1st Ave, Festac Town, ☏ +234 802 832 3405.
- Tatiana Hotel and Suites, 205 Road, House 1 2nd Ave, Festac Town, ☏ +234 906 000 9106.
- Sada Cruz Hotel, 56 4th Ave, Festac Tow. #7,500.
- Vicmike Villa, 65 B 21 Road,G1 Cl, Festac Town, ☏ +234 816 159 3829. #10,000.
- Brighams Suites, 1st Avenue, A1 close Plot 854, Festac Town, ☏ +234 909 876 1330.
- 3 Festival Hotel, Festal (formerly Golden Tulip), Amuwo Odofin, Mile 2, Festac (.). has a very nice architectural view and nice facilities for its customers. It has over 470 well-furnished rooms, and offers a wide range of services to its customers including : Dry cleaning and housekeeping services, round-the-clock room service, ATM, Lawn tennis facilities, airport shuttle, business center, and concierge services.
- Rockview Hotel, 33, 23 Rd, Festac Town, ☏ +234 808 326 1985. When you get to Festac, ensure you visit this Hotel. It has everything you need to have a great time. N22,295.
- Cavera Estate, Festac Town (13th road, 6th avenue).
- 4 Destiny Hotel and Suites, 3, Dili Ituludiegwu Rd, Satellite Town. Free parking and a bar/lounge. ₦6,000.
- 5 Golden Tree Hotel and Suites, 18 Western Ave, Satellite Town, ☏ +234 803 3053 302.
- 6 Lighthouse Beach House, Lighthouse Beach, ☏ +234 817-000-1543. Room rates are inclusive breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. Day pass for access to the outdoor facilities with lunch & cocktails weekday ₦20,000, weekend ₦25,000. Double ₦110,000-125,000.
- 7 Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure, Snake Island, Opposite Niger Dock, Amuwo-Odofin LGA (Ikoyi's Lagos State Jetty serves as the departure point; after you've paid, you'll receive specifics about the pick-up time, which is normally by noon; it takes about 30-45 minutes to complete the journey), ☏ +234 817 088 5231. A fairly standard place to see. However, from the traveller's point of view, the place seems good but services and variety are not so available. ₦45,000.
- 8 Villa Park Hotel and Suites, 76c Festac Access Rd, Amuwo Odofin Estate. ₦16,450.
- 9 Opera Classic Suite Limited, 102, Festac Link Road, by Raji Rasaki Junction, Festac Town, Lagos, ☏ +234806 751 6500. ₦8,000.
Connect
Mobile Network connection and service in Snake Island is a bit off the usual standards for the most part of Lagos State. Hence there is limited service in the area.