Africa’s Big Apple (Lagos nickname)

The city of Lagos, Nigeria, is the most populous city in Africa. In June 2013, the state government in Lagos produced the video Lagos: Africa’s Big Apple. Lagos is to Nigeria (and Africa) just as New York City is to New York State (and the United States).
 
The “Big Apple” comparison existed before the video. “If New york is the BIG APPLE,....Lagos is _________??” was posted on Twitter on June 8, 2011 and “If New York is called ‘The big apple’... what do we call Lagos?” was posted on Twitter on September 25, 2012. “Lagos - Take a bite of this big apple and describe the bittersweet taste” was posted on Twitter on February 3, 2013.
 
The “Africa’s Big Apple” video has had a mixed reaction, with some people objecting that Lagos uses New York City’s nickname. Lagos has also been called “Big Agbalumo” and “Big Yam.”
   
     
Wikipedia: Lagos
Lagos (/ˈlɑːɡoʊs/ lah-gohs, /ˈleɪɡɒs/ lay-gos) is a port and the most populous city in Nigeria. It is the second fastest-growing city in Africa and the seventh in the world. The population of Lagos according to the Lagos State Government, was 17.5 million. these figures are however disputed by the Nigerian Government and judged unreliable by the National Population Commission of Nigeria. The latest reports estimate the population at 21 million, making Lagos the largest city in Africa.
 
Twitter
...SANTA’S WIFE!ᵔ.ᵔ
‏@tweetcheezy
Lmao!RT @Ytepurple: Heheheheh nice1! RTKofti_B: Big Agbalumo RT @DejiVanSteel: If New york is the BIG APPLE,....Lagos is _________??
7:39 AM - 8 Jun 11
 
Twitter
Stem Cell
‏@gbrymoore
:’( RT @Go_Kofi: Burnt do do :p RT @GirlWivDRedLips Serious question: If New York is called ‘The big apple’... what do we call Lagos? :s
3:24 PM - 25 Sep 12
 
Twitter
Funmilade
‏@ftaiwo
Lagos - Take a bite of this big apple and describe the bittersweet taste
Your tastebuds can’t handle the swee… http://tmblr.co/ZSC7SvdMPfaC
10:23 PM - 3 Feb 13
 
Twitter
dade!
‏@dadepo
LAGOS: AFRICA’S OWN BIG APPLE ==> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWxMT84aG0 … #Lagos #Nigeria
9:30 PM - 7 Jun 13
 
Bella Naija
Deola Sagoe says “Lagos is a City of Discovery”, Governor Fashola says “Lagos is Home”, What is Lagos to You? | Watch “Lagos: Africa’s Big Apple” Documentary
Posted on Thursday, June 13th, 2013 at 5:43 PM
By Damilare Aiki
Believe it or not, there’s no city like that of Lagos.
 
QCP TV in collaboration with the Lagos State Government presents a bird’s eye view of the city that never sleeps. From the food, to fashion, the scenery to the many events that keep BellaNaijarians interested with the photos, Lagos is fast becoming one of Africa’s top and valued metropolitan cities.
   
Kemi Okpaka’s Blog
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Must Watch Video: Lagos Africa’s Big Apple
The above video was recently released by the Lagos State government, describing the state capital, Lagos, as a mega-city   and this same video has generated so many criticism from people who has described it all as “sheer fantasy,” some even say its all false representation of Lagos…,
Watch the video, and please do tell us what you think of the video.
Posted by Kemisola Okpaka
   
The New Yorker
AUGUST 21, 2013
A SAFER WATERFRONT IN LAGOS, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT
POSTED BY ALEXIS OKEOWO
(...)
The state government in Lagos recently released a short, slick video touting Lagos as “Africa’s Big Apple” which features shots of the glitzy artificial city, known as Eko Atlantic. The video also shows a parade of fast boats, traffic-free roads, glamorous hotel pools, and clothing boutiques. Heads of government agencies talk about the gains that Lagos—believed to be the world’s fastest growing city, and which has an estimated population of twenty million people—has made in mass transit and tax collection. The city’s visionary, controversial mayor, Babatunde Fashola, appears briefly, urging residents of Lagos to play their parts in achieving the mega-city dream. The video was perhaps not meant to be watched by actual, opinionated Lagosians. While residents of Lagos would find it difficult to argue that their city is undergoing a makeover that began over the last decade, the problems that still exist—overcrowded, underserved slums; poor sanitation; and troubled schools—make the video feel awkward. Eko Atlantic underscores the worry among some Lagosians that their government wants to protect only the city’s rich from rising sea levels.
 
“Eko Atlantic will be centered on Eko Boulevard, which is more or less a reproduction of Fifth Avenue in New York,” David Frame, the head of Chagoury Group’s construction division South Energyx Nigeria, told me.
   
Twitter
Nigerian Affairs
‏@AffairsNigerian
Lagos - Africa’s Big Apple, and West Africa’s giant city….Lagos, Nigeria…
http://youtu.be/O-YiOvZuzAg http://fb.me/3bStzlIuH
2:50 PM - 19 Oct 13
 
Twitter
سليمب بن اول
‏@WalleLawal
Which is why I can’t stand that advert that calls Lagos Africa’s Big Apple. You can’t just inherit another city’s nickname/personality.
12:46 PM - 6 Dec 13