A Word Is Enough For A Wise

There are machines that can host 50,000 websites just as these machines can handle 500 websites. It all boils down to reliability of the servers in question and a server with fewer websites will certainly be more reliable all other things being equal.

But it seems that the best way for customers to know which is which is for them to try and see as you will never have shortage of people that will promise everything under the sun just to get hold of your money.

The one thumb rule is never to over rely on a host. Be always ready to move at any Jack Robinson. And the way to it is to be sure if things go wrong, you are safe and can pitch ur tenth somewhere else as fast as possible. For one, backup as often as necessary and two, it is adviceable to have your domian name registered elsewhere and let ur hosting company handle just the hosting alone so that if things go wrong, you an easily get ur files elsewhere and change the name server of ur domian name to the new one.
Generally, and with some bad experience, I don't that trust Nigerian hosting companies. Pardon my "unpatriotism" but the fact is that the infrastructure in the country today can't afford a Nigerian hosting company giving the best of service (even if he wants to) - take electricity for one. I only use Nigerian hosting companies I know are resellers to a company elsewhere and that is if it is a very small job,