Objective: Metabolic syndrome is defined as the constellation of interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin. This constellation of metabolic risk factors in any given individual reflects increased risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mortality. The combination of these factors in people with diabetes mellitus may also connote increased occurrence of macrovascular and microvascular complications. This study compared the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and its components using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria in people with diabetes and apparently healthy individuals. Method: One hundred and fifty adult Nigerians with diabetes mellitus and 150 healthy individuals were recruited into this study. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were done. Fasting plasma glucose and fasting serum lipid levels were determined. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the IDF criteria. Statistical analyses were done and the characteristics of the two groups were compared. Results: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among people with diabetes and controls were 73.3% and 14.7% respectively (p = < 0.001) and was higher in women in both groups (male-28.4% vs female-56.6%, p = <0.001). The commonest abnormality among the patients with diabetes, apart from dysglycaemia was reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), present in 84.0% of patients with diabetes. Among control subjects, low HDL-C (67.4%) and elevated waist circumference (WC) (58.7%) were the most common. Mean waist circumference was significantly higher among those with metabolic syndrome compared with those without in both groups. Conclusion: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its component abnormalities is high especially among people with diabetes. Efforts geared towards prevention and management of these cardio-metabolic risks should be intensified both in people with diabetes and healthy individuals.