Lagos

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Lagos

This article is about the city in Nigeria. For the city in Portugal, see Lagos, Portugal.

Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria. As only two censuses (in 1972 and 1991) have been taken since independence, estimates of its population vary considerably, but generally range from 10 to 15.5 million people, making it the second largest in Africa (after Cairo). Lagos is located at .

Lagos has grown from a small Yoruba settlement, and undergone periods of domination by two European powers, to become the commercial and population center of Nigeria.

It is the former capital city of Nigeria as it was replaced by Abuja but the city remains the commercial center of Nigeria. The city officially lost its status as the capital city of Nigeria on 12 December 1991.

History

Main article: History of Lagos

Lagos was once a Yoruba settlement of Awori people called Eko, whose name stemmed from either Oko (farm) or Eko (war camp.). The present day Lagos state has a higher percent of this sub-group who actually migrated to the area from Isheri along the Ogun river. Due to war at that time, probably the Ijaiye war, though it could not be said to be this war looking at the time Eko sprung up to the time of the known war. History has it that the Awori were actually from Ife and maybe due to another war ,first down to Ibadan later Isheri. It seems that with this it can be seen that the Awori people are a people initially not taken to warfare. By the time of the earlier mentioned war, those from the hinter lands, like the Ekiti ran towards Isheri which at that time had more than one Olofin (Alafin)who were heads of probably respective settlements about 1400BC . With the fleeing people from the hinterlands most of them scattered again to different places. Some to Iro, to Otta, Ado, others to Ebute Metta i.e three landing places-Oyingbo, Iddo and Lagos Island(Eko). The Olofin that brought those who went to Ebute-Metta was Ogunfunminire later known as Agbodere. With the full commencement of the war about 2000 moved to the nearest island;Iddo, others to Otto Awori or Otto Ijanikin towards Badagry.Those from Ekiti Aramoko came to Ebute-Metta -to Iddo and then Ijora. The Olofin was said to have 32 children. His own known children are Olumegbon, Aromire, Oloto, Oluwa, Oniru, Onisiwo, Onitoolo,and Elegushi. Ojora, Onikoyi and Mogiso were not his biological children. After the demise of Agbodere,the name Olofin became the name used to remember him while a title of Oloto was given to his seccessor. With one of his sons becoming the Oloto his other children parted ways to what is known as visible settlements in the present day Lagos. Aromire is likely to be the first to cross being said to have swam across the river. It is possible that is real name is not Aromire but due to the feat he became known as such. It will take a harder detail to explain where was Lagos (geographic boundary) and Eko. Eko can be said to be the area found by aromire because the other areas that are now been generally referred to as Eko have names and heads which are the brothers of Aromire as earlier mentioned. Lagos also was initially the region called Lagos Island, comprising of the respective Kingdoms. With time Otto was absorbed into that collective name. We can assume that Eko was given to it by its first King Oba Aromire. During its early history, it also saw periods of rule by the Kingdom of Benin. Edo Nation - The Origin of Eko (Lagos) Portuguese explorer Sequeira visited the area in 1472 , naming the area around the city Lagos, meaning lakes. From 1704-1851 it served as a major center of the slave trade. In 1841 Oba Akitoye ascended on to the throne of lagos and tried to bring an end to slave trading by placing a ban on the act. Lagos merchants, most notably Madam Tinubu, resisted the ban and deposed the king (who was deported to Whaday) and installed his brother Oba Kosoko. Oba Akitoye while on exile met with the British who had banned slave trading in 1807, and got their backing to regain his throne. In 1851 he was reinstalled Oba of Lagos.

Past kings

King Ado
King Gabaro (1720-1730)
Eletu Kekere (1730-1734)
King Akinsemoyin (1734-1779)
Erelu Kuti(female)
King Ologun Kutere
King Adele (1806-1813), (1834-1836)
King Eshinlokun (1836-1841)
Oba Idewu Ojulari
King Oluwole
King Akintoye
Oba Kosoko

Lagos was formally annexed as a British colony in 1861. This had the dual effect of crushing the slave trade and establishing British superiority over palm and other trades. City of Atlanta, Georgia - Sister City The remainder of modern-day Nigeria was seized in 1886, and when the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was established in 1914 Lagos was declared its capital. Lagos experienced rapid growth throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a result of Nigeria's economic boom prior to the Biafran War.

Lagos was the capital of Nigeria from 1914 - 1976; it was stripped of this title when the Federal Capital Territory was established at the purpose-built city of Abuja. However, most government functions (especially the head of state) stayed in Lagos for a time since Abuja was still under construction. In 1991, the head of state and other government functions finally moved to the newly built capital in a mass exodus. The change resulted in Lagos losing some prestige and economic leverage.

Geography and climate

Lagos's climate is similar to that of the rest of southern Nigeria. There are two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November. There is a brief relatively dry spell in August and Sepetmber and a longer dry season from December to March. Monthly rainfall between May and July averages over 300 mm (12 in), whilst in August and September it is down to 75mm (3in) and in January as low as 35mm (1.5in). The main dry season is accompanied by harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert, which between December and early February can be quite strong.

The commercial centre remains Lagos Island, which is connected to the mainland by three large bridges: Eko Bridge, Carter Bridge, and Third Mainland Bridge. Ikoyi and Victoria island are closely connected to Lagos Island. The main docks are in Apapa directly opposite Lagos Island. Other districts on the mainland include Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (Lagos) (site of the University of Lagos), Mushin, and Ikeja, site of Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

Law and Government

Unlike many major worldwide cities, Lagos city does not have its own mayor or council, but is instead governed as part of a regular Nigerian state. Since 1967, Lagos is part of Lagos State. Lagos was the headquarters of Lagos State until 1976, when this was moved to Ikeja, Lagos thus losing state capital and national capital status in the same year. Lagos State Website - About Lagos State

Lagos State covers some of the area beyond the city's borders, but its primary focus is on Lagos proper. The state of Lagos is split into 15 districts. The state is responsible for utilities including roads and transportation, power, water, health, and education.

The city is also home to the High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary, housed in an old colonial building on Lagos Island. Lagos Judiciary

Economy

Lagos is Nigeria's leading port. The Port of Lagos, operated by the Nigerian Port Authority is split into three main sections: Lagos port, Apapa Port and Tin Can Port, all located on the Gulf of Guinea. OT Africa Line - Nigeria Page The port features a railhead.

The port handles imports of consumer goods, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, machinery, and industrial raw materials. Its export trade in timber and agricultural products such as cacao and groundnuts has declined since the early 1970s, although the port has seen growing amounts of crude oil exported, with export figures rising between 1997 and 2000. OT Africa Line - Lagos Port Statistics Oil and petroleum products provide 20% of GDP and 95% of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria as a whole. CIA World Factbook - Nigeria

More than half of Nigeria's industrial capacity is located in Lagos's mainland suburbs, particularly in the Ikeja industrial estate. A wide range of manufactured goods are produced in the city, including machinery, motor vehicles, electronic equipment, chemicals, beer, processed food, and textiles.

Transport

Ferries and highways link the parts of the city together. However, transport links within Lagos are congested, due in part to the geography of the city, as well as its explosive population growth. An agency called Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA)Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority has been created to solve the transportation problems in Lagos. A chain of salt-water lagoons runs west to Badagri and also east toward Ogun State. The Bus rapid transit scheme is set to be launched on the 4th of June 2006.Lagos State Official Website

Demographics

As no census has been completed in Lagos since 1991, definitive demographic information is hard to come by. However, there is clear evidence of startling population growth in Lagos. A census is being taken and compiled (as of March 2006) for the whole of Nigeria, even imposing curfews to ensure accurate counts. This will provide the most accurate numbers to date for Lagos. This census will not, however, include religious or tribal affilitaion, as these are controversial issues with two major religions (Islam and Christianity) and 3 major ethnicities.

Lagos is, by most estimates, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. The United Nations predicts that the city's metropolitan area, which had only about 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, will exceed 20 million by 2010. This will make Lagos one of the world's five largest cities. Africa Travelling - Lagos Culture

In Nigeria as a whole, there are more than 250 ethnic groups. GESource

Telecommunications

Lagos has a functioning telephone system and Internet access is also widely available and readily accessible. Several large mobile phone companies operate in Lagos, making Nigeria the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world.

Shopping

New shopping centers are beginning to spring up at last. One of such is The Palms shopping Centre recently commissioned in Lekki. Palms Shopping Center Web Site

Features and neighborhoods

The Lagos Mainland is home to most of the people that go to work on the Lagos Island (the economic nerve center of Nigeria). The area is famous for its music and nightlife, notably in areas around Yaba and Surulere, as well as the National Stadium Complex and the two universities located on the Mainland. The city also has two airports, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and the Lagos Domestic Airport, both located in the Ikeja Area of the Mainland. Though largely derelict, Tinubu Square on Lagos Island is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation ceremony that unified the North and South took place in 1914.

Culture

Music & Film industry

Lagos is famous throughout West Africa for its music scene. Lagos has given birth to a variety of styles such as highlife, juju, fuji, and Afrobeat. In recent years Lagos has been the fore runner with African styled hip-hop branded Afrohip-hop.

Lagos is the centre of the famous Nigerian film industry, often referred to as 'Nollywood.' Many of the large film producers have offices in Surulere, Lagos, though there aren't any film studios in Nollywood, in the Hollywood sense. Idumota market on Lagos Island is the primary distribution center. Also many films are shot in the Festac area of Lagos.

The cinemas are gradually loosing their supporters to the movie industry. Yoruba films happen to be the most watched in the cinemas, followed by Indian films. Films are not premiered for a long period of time in the western sense, especially with Yoruba films. The English spoken films move directly from the studios to the market. The theatres on the other hand seem to be having their advent supporters, but little is heard about them maybe due to the level of publicity given.

The National Arts Theatre Iganmu is a National heritage.

Sport & Tourism

As in the rest of Nigeria, football is the most popular sport. The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and the Lagos State Football Association (LAFA) are both based in Lagos. A prominent Lagos soccer club Julius Berger FC, members of the Nigerian Premier League; the team, owned by the Julius Berger Construction Company, is set to close in 2008, potentially leaving Lagos without a Premier League team. Nigeria Sports

The Nigerian national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, used to play almost all of their home games in Lagos; however, games are now split between the Surelere Stadium in Lagos and the larger, newer Abuja Stadium in Abuja, which may soon become the default home of the Super Eagles. World Stadiums - NigeriaRSSSF - Nigeria Results

The Lagos State government features the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Social Development.

Lagos is not a common tourist destination, as it is primarily business-oriented and has a reputation for danger and squalor amongst many foreigners. However, some tourist attractions do exist, such as Oba's Palace. There are also several shopping malls, including the Falomo Shopping Centre. Visitors are also drawn to the musical heritage of Lagos, such as fuji music (see Music section). Lagos City

Poverty

Many residents of Lagos live in are poor, and live in ghettos such as Ajegunle, whilst there are districts of considerable wealth. Lagos, like many cities in developing countries has attracted many young entrepreneurs and families seeking a better life from throughout Nigeria and beyond.

Education

The education system is the 6-3-3-4 system , which is run throughout the country. The elementary;primary, two parts of secondary i.e JSS(Junior Secondary School)-3yrs, SSS(Senior Secondary School)-3yrs and four years in the ivory tower. Every child has right to basic education especially for the first 6yrs. The level of poverty may determine how far the child will go after this.

Colleges and Universities

Lagos is home to four universities:

The University of Lagos(UNILAG) is a large institution dating from 1962, with over 35,000 students. It comprises 13 faculties, run by over 4,000 staff.

The Pan-African University is primarily a business school, offering two MBA programs. Founded in 1996 and awarded University status in 2002, it consists of the Lagos Business School and of Enterprise Development Services. The University also places some emphasis on the study of art.

Yaba College of Technology was the first higher institution in the country, and one the first in Africa.

External links

Government and Commerce

News

Nigerian Tribune daily newspaper
The Guardian daily newspaper
This Day daily newspaper
Vanguard daily newspaper
Daily Sun Entertainment-oriented Newspaper
Punch daily Newspaper

Education

University of Lagos
Lagos Business School - Pan-African University

Notes and references

Other

Pictures of the street and Wax market in lagos
Satellite picture by Google Maps
Lagos Live: the definitive online guide to Lagos, Nigeria
The Guardian Christmas appeal 2005: Aids in Africa Flash movie on AIDS in the city, consisting of a photo story of 66 pictures alongside an 11-minute audio report by Jonathan Steele of The Guardian

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