Lagos

Why it matters: this was Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison, where Nigeria’s independence heroes were jailed under colonial rule – reborn as a memorial and community arts park that now hosts the island’s best live music, poetry nights and festivals. Architect Theo Lawson’s design keeps the old prison walls and cells as museum spaces, so you can trace the history before the amphitheatre fills up at night. The food court serves proper Lagos cooking at honest prices. Go at dusk when office workers drift in and the stage comes alive – check the events calendar before you visit, and entry rarely tops 1,000 naira.

Why it matters: owner Nike Davies-Okundaye – the doyenne of Nigerian textile art – has trained over 3,000 artists for free through her foundation since 1983, most of them women, and this gallery bankrolls that mission. The five-storey Lekki building holds roughly 8,000 works, making it one of the largest art collections in West Africa, and admission is free. Mama Nike herself often welcomes visitors in her trademark headwrap; ask about the adire indigo-dyeing demonstrations. If you buy, prices are fair and the money goes back into the training centres.