Originally, the city was a Yoruba Settlement, known then as Eko, ruled by kings, which were conquered by neighbouring city state of Benin (which is not to be confused with the country of same name). It was subsequently, conquered and colonised by the Portuguese and then the British.Lagos was famous for being the trading hub of many spices and metals. For a long period, it functioned as a slave trading post too, although it's hard to find remnants of this history in contemporary Lagos.Due to its position as the centre for government and commerce in Nigeria, a large number of immigrants moved to Lagos from all over the sub-region, fuelling economic development. Unfortunately, successive governments failed to invest adequately in infrastructure for the growing population, leading to overcrowding and partial infrastruture failure. As a result the government decided to create a purpose build capital city - Abuja - along the lines of Canberra and Brasilia. When this was mostly completed in the mid-nineties, most organs of the federal government were relocated to Abuja.The loss of its capital status have not affected the attractiveness of Lagos as Nigeria's main area of economic activity due to its convenient location as a seaport, accessway to other West African countries, and its bubbly cosmopolitan culture. Most of the service businesses are located near the coast on the "islands" (Lagos and Victoria) while much of the heavy industry is based in the mainland. Most of the population of Lagos also live on the mainland.Lagos is best travelled early in the morning (before dawn) at dusk, in evening or at weekends and public holidays when traffic is low. However,as would be expected in such a sprawling cosmopolis, please exercise caution in certain neighbourhoods at night - should you decide to go for a walk as muggings do occur. Do also keep an eye out for "Area Boys," as the local thugs, or street urchins are called.However, many residential neighbourhoods have gates constructed on their main street entrances to keep away the unwanted. Such gates, manned by neighbourhood guards, often require a gatepass issued by your host, before you are allowed exit after dark.ADVICE: Lagos is not for the novice traveller. The infrastructures regarded as usual for cities this large are just not here, yet. Travelling in and around Lagos can be difficult without a private driver which is moderately priced if negotiated with in a firm but friendly way. Price negotiation is absolutely a required skill in Lagos, but fortunately one can have a lot of fun learning it because of the way Nigerians themselves have fun applying it...negotiation is part of the social language and usually accompanied with laughs and smiles and loud talking. It is useful to remember that Nigerians, like most West Africa, have hundreds of years of market experience. Being relaxed, but eyes open, is the secret to Lagos - it is actually a fun city.Nigerians will accept almost any gesture or excuse to have fun and share a laugh. Making new friends is easy but must be done with caution, as anywhere new. The traveler who connects with people in Lagos is almost guaranteed a wonderful people-experience. Lagos might be regarded as one of the top party cities but in its own unique niche. There is a diversity of restaurants but non-traditional food tends to be pricey. The national food is quite good, and one should try traditional Nigerian fare (Okra pulp, grilled goat kidney is very nice, but the Softball-sized land snails might look daunting but are also good, the sauces are outstanding on any dish). Nigerians just love to party. No wonder one of the favorite vacation getaway for Nigerians is Rio.Having a personal contact is almost necessary to getting around Lagos. Travelling at night or in pre-light dawn is definitely not advised. Lagos' traffic congestion is world class and probably without equal anywhere on the globe; it must be negotiated with patience and acceptance. Pne can later wear the experience like a traveller's medal. One has experienced Lagos traffic full on and come away sane (but maybe not the same). Later memories are strong both positive and negative; one is drawn to revisit Lagos but the process one thinks about is like revisiting the moon, one supposes, for astronauts. One comes away from Lagos with new skills and a love of people. One tends to negotiate any price even in "western" department stores (and surprisingly often with results!) and there might be a tendency to drive for a while like Lagotians (have to lose that tendency quickly, usually). http://wikitravel.org/en/Lagos