Monthly Archives: October 2020

Greater Houston is the fifth most-populous metropolitan area in the United States with a population of over 7 million residents.  This is one of America’s most ethnically diverse cities.  With over 145 different languages being spoken in this global city, it is no surprise Houston has plenty of great restaurants offering delicious cuisine from all over the world, including dozens of West African restaurants and food trucks offering Nigerian, Ghanaian, Cameroonian, and Senegalese food.  Known as “H-Town” or “Hustle-Town”, Houston is a fast-growing and youthful city that attracts international investors and businesspeople.  Houston has over 4,600 energy-related firms operating across the metropolitan area and is considered the energy capital of the world.  There are about 40,000 Nigerian citizens living in Houston, and perhaps four times as many first and second-generation Nigerian-Americans.   

Denver, known as the “Mile High City” because of its elevation of 5,280 feet, is the capital of Colorado and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  The Denver metropolitan area is the 19th most-populous metro area in the U.S. and has a population approaching 3 million people.  The region’s growing and diverse economy—along with its proximity to Rocky Mountain ski resorts—make Denver an attractive destination for people seeking a more active and balanced lifestyle.  The Denver metropolitan area includes the towns of Arvada, Aurora, Castle Rock, Centennial, Lakewood, Littleton, Thornton, and Westminster.  While the Nigerian immigrant population in Denver is small compared with other American cities, it is still large enough to host annual community events such as “Nigeria Day”, and Nigerian restaurants and foods trucks are emerging on the city’s culinary scene.

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and is the largest city in the Mountain Time Zone.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area has a population of 4.8 million—the tenth largest metropolitan area in the United States—and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  New residents and businesses come here for the low cost of living and year-round warm weather.  Phoenix gets more sunshine than any other major city on the planet, making this city a popular tourist destination that has over 200 golf courses, 500 hotels, and 40 resorts.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area, also known as the Valley, includes the cities of Casa Grande, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Maricopa, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe.  The population of Nigerian immigrants in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area is small, but the community will grow as more people move away from more expensive cities on the West Coast.  

Boston is one of America’s oldest cities and has a rich history that attracts over 20 million tourists each year.  Known as the “intellectual capital of the United States”, Boston is a center of education that has more than 350,000 college students from around the world, making up over 7% of the metro area’s population.  Boston has 35 universities, colleges, and community colleges along with many of the country’s best research and teaching hospitals.  As a hub of academia, medicine, and technology, it is no surprise that Nigerians—one of the most educated ethnic groups in America—are numerous in the Boston area with an estimated population of at least 10,000.  Greater Boston is the eleventh-most populous metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 4.9 million people, and includes towns such as Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy, Newton, Waltham, and Medford.     

Turkey is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and attracts over 50 million visitors each year.  Straddling Europe and Asia, the land that makes up this nation of 83 million people sits at the crossroads of many ancient civilizations, making Turkey a must-visit destination for American tourists interested in historical sites and culture.  

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and located in the Mojave Desert, sandwiched between California and Arizona.  The Las Vegas metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been America’s fastest growing city the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks only as the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting the city on any given day.  Las Vegas is known as “America’s Playground” and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, receiving over 42 million visitors each year.  The Nigerian immigrant population is small, yet it is still possible to find Nigerian restaurants in Las Vegas just like other cities across America.

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  Known for its endless sprawl (and endless freeways), Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank,  Long Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Oxnard, and Huntington Beach.  There are at least 10,000 Nigerian immigrants scattered throughout Los Angeles and perhaps as many as 15,000 in Southern California.  Americans trying to get a taste of Nigeria before their trip can visit one of the handful of Nigerian restaurants in Inglewood or can check out the latest Nigerian movie on their favorite streaming service.

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, San Rafael, and Novato.  The economy of the Bay Area is one of the most vigorous and entrepreneurial in the world.  While the Nigerian immigrant community of 5,000 is relatively small, it is likely that more Nigerian skilled professionals will move to the Bay Area as Silicon Valley (a region of the Bay Area known for technology and innovation) increases investments into Sub-Saharan Africa.