Hello people,

I am a British man being expatriated to Nigeria end of this year. My company has work positions in both Lagos and Abuja. I need to decide very soon, which duty station to take up. I've never lived in Nigeria so i dont know whether to take Lagos or Abuja except for the information i've read on here and the fact that my wife is a Nigerian (she grew up in London though). I will be moving to Nija with my wife and little baby. Both cities seem to have pro's and con's but I am looking for where will be overall most suitable for my family. I am a rough neck oyibo ready for any challenge o! so i'm not really put off by the cons on either side.

I'd be very grateful for any constructive pointers.

Many thanks! 

Even though am base jos and i hve never been to lag am telling you lag lfe is nt easy especialy for eyibo like you. I thnk abuja will be alot easier for you though must of great brains of naija recide in lag.

^^
Depends.
Lagos is a lot livelier, but much more crowded. Lots of bad traffic during the week.
If you want to be comfortable in Lagos, you have to live close to where your work is located, cos the commute is no joke.
The business disctrict is largely on the Island, so you should look at accomodation around the island. Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Oniru, is ideal. Those locations are also very pricey, so I hope your company is paying.

Abuja is urbane, spacious, good infrastructure, but can be a tad boring. One thing I like about Abuja is that there's a lot of choice for hotels, unlike Lagos. On the average, it appears that hotels are cheaper in Abuja (just my view anyway). You should not be concerned about that anyways.
Although Abuja has a better commute, depending on where you live, I would still say it's better to live close to where you work. That of course depends on what you can pay. Housing in Nigeria comes at ridiculous prices, unlike anywhere else I have ever been.

Depending on where your digs are located, both cities can be a lot of fun, anyways.

Fantguy and Ajanlekoko,

God bless you guys. Thanks alot for the tips. I'm grateful.

I think you should go for the Abuja station. Lagos is a very crowded city with overstretched facilities, life there can be rough even in the so-called posh areas i.e. Victoria Island, Lekki etc, I mean with the frequent floods during heavy downpours and constant traffic. Both cities are expensive so if cost of living is a factor why not settle for the one where you get what you paid for with some peace of mind (Abuja!). Come down to Abuja, all the cool kids are doing it. Cheers :

Security,infrastructure,Nightlife ,good schools,hotels,bars and night club.I think you should ask the embassy,some british people live in lagos and abuja.But their is a sterotype already,The embassy officials live in lagos and work in lagos.