Nigeria Fun: Afrobeat, Nollywood and the Nightlife of Lagos and Abuja

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Nigeria is Africa's cultural giant: 220 million people, the world's most prolific film industry, and the music now playing in clubs around the planet. This itinerary is designed to vibrate to the Nigerian rhythm. It begins in Lagos, the 20-million-person megacity that never sleeps: the New Afrika Shrine — the Afrobeat temple founded by Fela Kuti — hosts live Femi Kuti concerts on Thursdays and an electric atmosphere any night. The Nike Art Gallery, West Africa's largest art gallery, displays five floors of contemporary Nigerian art. Landmark beaches on Victoria Island concentrate the party scene: international DJs, spicy suya barbecues, and cocktails overlooking the Atlantic. A Nollywood tour reveals the sets where more than 2,000 films are shot each year. The Lekki Conservation Center, with its 401-meter canopy walk — the longest in Africa — offers a green breather amid so much urban adrenaline. The second phase heads up to Abuja, the planned capital, where Jabi Lake rooftops and the imposing silhouette of Zuma Rock create a different Nigerian night, more sophisticated but just as vibrant.