Coming back to Lagos after years away is exciting and a little disorienting at once — here's what actually helps in that first hour off the plane.
Every year, ToTrip Car Rental Services picks up returning Nigerians and diaspora visitors at Murtala Muhammed International Airport who haven't set foot in Lagos in five, ten, sometimes twenty years. The city has changed, the roads have changed, and the arrivals experience itself can feel unfamiliar even to someone who grew up here. This guide covers what to expect and how to make that first hour as smooth as possible.
1. Arrange Pickup Before You Land, Not After
Arrivals at MMIA can be chaotic, and the last thing you want after a long-haul flight is to be negotiating a ride in the car park while jet-lagged and surrounded by unfamiliar touts. Booking a chauffeur in advance means a driver is waiting with a name board at the arrivals hall, your route is already planned, and you can walk straight to a car rather than into a crowd of unofficial drivers offering rides.
2. Expect A Different City Than You Remember
Neighbourhoods you knew have grown, new expressways and flyovers have changed how people move around the Island and Mainland, and areas that were quiet a decade ago — parts of Lekki and the outskirts of Ajah, for example — are now dense and busy. If you're heading somewhere you used to know well, mentioning this to your driver helps them plan a realistic route rather than the one you remember from years back.
🚗 What's Genuinely Different Since You Left
3. Keep Some Local Currency On Hand, But Don't Over-Carry Cash
Card and transfer payments are now standard across most of Lagos, including with rental services, but a modest amount of naira in cash is still useful for small purchases in the first day or two before you're fully settled. Carrying large amounts of cash through the airport, however, is unnecessary and is the one habit returning visitors most often need to unlearn.
4. Give Yourself A Buffer Before Any First-Day Commitments
If family or business obligations are waiting on your first day, resist the urge to schedule them immediately after landing. Long-haul jet lag combined with Lagos traffic and the general disorientation of a changed city is a lot to absorb at once. A half-day to rest before diving into a packed schedule makes every meeting and reunion go better.
"The clients who enjoy their first day back are almost always the ones who didn't try to do too much of it."
— ToTrip Car Rental Services, Airport Operations
5. Decide Between Self-Drive And Chauffeur Honestly
Even confident, experienced drivers who grew up in Lagos often find that a decade abroad has left them out of practice with the specific rhythm of Lagos traffic — the negotiating at junctions, the informal right-of-way rules, the density of okadas and keke around the Mainland. A chauffeur for at least the first few days, while you re-acclimatise, is a common and sensible choice even for former residents.
Coming home after time away? We'll have a driver waiting with your name at arrivals.
Book Your Airport Pickup6. Keep A Local SIM And Data Plan As A Priority
Getting connected on arrival — for maps, payments and staying in touch with family already in Lagos — is one of the most useful first steps. Many returning visitors arrange an eSIM before travel or pick one up shortly after landing, which also makes it easier to confirm pickup details and stay in contact with your driver.
7. Reconnect With The City Gradually
Rather than trying to visit every old neighbourhood and every relative in the first 48 hours, spreading visits out over the first week tends to be far less exhausting, and it gives you time to actually enjoy being back rather than just moving through a checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will my driver find me at arrivals?
Your ToTrip chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall with a name board and will have your flight details in advance, so pickup is confirmed before you land.
Should I book a chauffeur for my whole stay or just the airport run?
Many returning visitors book a chauffeur for the first few days while re-acclimatising, then decide whether to continue with a driver or switch to self-drive once they feel settled.
Coming back to Lagos after time away is rarely just a logistics exercise — it's an emotional one too. Getting the practical side right, starting with a smooth airport pickup, leaves more room to actually enjoy being home.