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 Friedrich
Naumann Foundation chose to locate its Nigeria office in Lagos at
a time when Lagos was still the de facto capital of Nigeria, even
though Abuja was already declared in 1976 the official new capital.
Only in 1992 the presidency moved to Abuja and since then subsequently
ministries and foreign embassies followed. However, even today,
the majority of private companies are still located in Lagos, and
many Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) still maintain their
headquarters in Lagos. This is equally true for all German political
foundations, of which only one opened a branch in Abuja.
The office of FNF is located at Victoria Island, one of the islands
which establish the megalopolis of Lagos with its estimated population
of 12 million. The distance from the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport in Ikeja to the office is about 35 km. The direct link between
mainland Lagos and the islands is the Third Mainland Bridge, the
longest bridge in all of West Africa. If there is no traffic jam,
for which Lagos is famous, the drive from the airport is about 45
minutes. But there have been times when the derive can take several
hours.
Victoria Island was previously home to most embassies in Nigeria.
Since the Nigerian government ordered foreign missions to relocate
to Abuja, most embassies complied meanwhile. But even today some
embassies are still located in Victoria Island or maintain at least
Deputy High Commissions or branches on the island.
 The
FNF office is located in the "House of German Industry and
Commerce", a property of the German Association of Chambers
of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), at 6F, Walter Carrington Crescent,
Victoria Island. In the same street, the Indian High Commission,
the Bulgarian Embassy, the Danish Embassy, a branch of the American
Embassy, a branch of the German Embassy, the Swedish Embassy, the
British Deputy High Commission, the Lebanese Embassy, the Italian
Embassy and the Embassy of the Russian Federation are found.
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