Agege: Difference between revisions

Agege
LGA and suburb
Oba Agege's statue.
Location in Lagos Metropolitan Area
Country	Nigeria
State	Lagos State
Government
• Executive Chairman	Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi
Area
• Total	4.73 sq mi (12.25 km2)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	683,600
• Density	140,000/sq mi (56,000/km2)
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)

Agege is an ancient town and local government area in the Ikeja Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. And until 1927 Agege was the headquarters of Ikeja division

Agege is an ancient Awori village of Otta dynasty in which it was used for farming and hunting by Ayige alongside his wives, children and his slaves before he finally settled on the farmland circa late 15th to early 16th century. They were later joined by some family members and relatives to form the old settlement. The name Agege was a corruption of an individual named “Aige” or “Ayige” alias Agerige was great warrior/hunter from Olorogun Dynasty, Osi Quarters, Iga Iloti currently Otta Ogun State.

Aige (means Victor or being victorious in the Awori aborigine dialect) settled in the area of his farm having consulted his oracle which was named idàà adun/Idò Adun, located within the current day ídéè bua and ipodo Orile Agege (means proper Agege) and later moved to Isale odon. The "Orile" is often being used to distinguish the old town from the recent settlement Agege town called Agege station which was settled by traders in the late 19th century by traders thus booming kola nuts trade accelerated by Railway shed complemented the emerging Agege market activities in the town as most of trader whom came to trade decided to stayed due rapid economic growth. As record in the Government Reports in mid 20th century “About 70% of the kolas despatched to the Northern Province pass through the rail-head at Agege and it owes its size partly to the possession of Railway station and partly to its situation as th center of a large kola and cocoa producing area. And During the 1933 more than 50% of the kolas consumed in Nigeria passed through the Agege Railway goods sheds.”

Contrary to Ilu Awon Ageigi that has been in the limelight in the past, The old Agege was offshoot of Otta covered about 75,000 hectares of land (75 km) include Villages like Ogba, Ikola, Ayobo, Meiran, Ekoro, Mosan, Akiogun and Anishere were all under the authority and control of Baale of Alaige in Orile Agege and the Bale was subjected to Otta until 1840s when Otta was rumored to have been captured by Ègba during the Dahomean war. The war which lasted between 1840s to 1850s saw the people of Agege move to Lagos for shelter and the then bale settled at Iru (Victoria beach) where he married the daughter of Eleko Adele before he and his people returned circa 1850s.

’After the cessation of Lagos in 1861 by King Dosunmu of Lagos, Agege was prominently recognized by Governor Glover of the Colony as one of the oldest villages in Lagos and the Bale Alaige (Baale of Orile Agege) was the first to be granted subsidies by him among other old villages in Lagos colony in the year 1888. While the remainder of the country was being opened up the hinterland of Lagos (including Agege) was being added by cession to the territories originally ceded by the King of Lagos in 1861. In 1866 Lagos had been included in the West African Settlements, and in 1874 it was united with the Gold Coast Colony. It became the separate Colony and Protectorate of Lagos in 1886.

At a various of the second half of the 19th century, fairly large number of villages and hamlets were founded over the forested landscape of the standstone of the then Agege-Ikeja district covering about 75,500 hectares (I.e 755km2) the area with its well drained soil and empty forestland offered great attraction to various group of Awori from Otta, Egbado from Ilaro and Égba from Abeokuta migrants who founded many settlements. from When the kolanut plantations in the Agege area started to flourish it attracted huge settlements. Agege Station experienced rapid development and became a powerful center of the kolanut trade. These settlements attracted different people of different backgrounds and interests such as traders, laborers, and most of these were Hausa. Whenever the Yoruba's needed labourers for jobs such as cutting of trees, they would engage the services of the Hausa people. Because of this work the immediate area where the Hausas lived was named ‘Ilu Awon Ageigi’ which translates as ‘Town (Ilu) of the tree cutters’. The name Agege was thus formed out of the word Ageigi by Hausas settlers.

Between 1889 to 1911 Agege (Station) township had grown during the last fifteen years into town with settled population of four to five thousand and floating population of two or three thousand more. The population is approximately 60% Hausa from Northern District and 40% from all part of southern Nigeria. While the land on which its stands was originally owned by Awori people of Orile Agege and Ogba respectively ^[2]

The boundary of the ancient Agege stretched from Isheri in the Northern part of Lagos, Ejigbo/Ewu through Idimu covering Mosan/Ayobo and bordering Itele Otta District while covering Ikola, Meiran in the southern and eastern part respectively and parting Agbado and borderline Abeokuta district in the western part and as shown in Lagos district map of 1842.

While the boundary of current Agege stretches from Northern part of Lagos stretches from Dopemu road through Anu-oluwapo street to olukosi down Fagbola through Osobu street to Orile road down to Old Agege Motor Road opposite Nitel. From the Southern part of Lagos it stretches from Ashade retail market to Akilo street.^[3]

From the Eastern part of Lagos it stretches from Oba ogunji road up to the by-pass to Agege Motor road by Nitel office. From the Western part of Lagos, the boundary of Agege stretches from Abeokuta express road from boundary with Ikeja Local government to Dopemu junction.^[3]

The foundation of Agege as a populated and commercial settlement began when a railway station was located close to Orile -Agege, an Awori settlement; the new railway linked Lagos with Abeokuta and was subsequently extended to Ibadan and to the Northern region.^[4] Prior to the construction of the station, Awori and Egba farmers cultivated food and cash crops such as Cocoa and Kola nut within the settlement.^[4] It is worthy to note that large scale cocoa plantations in Yorubaland started at Agege,^[4] before extending to many South Western Nigerian towns. Commercial activities sprang up around the station as collection, sorting and grading of Cocoa for transportation and export took place at Agege.^[4] The kolanut trade between Agege and the Northern region also expanded as a railway service was extended to the Northern regions. Small scale market activities also rose as market women set up shops close to the railway station.^[4]

The Agege Local Government was created in 1954 and was operative until 1967 after the first military takeover when it was merged with the Ikeja District council for a period of thirteen years. Agege was removed from the Ikeja Local Government in 1980 and remained so until 1983 when the Military took over power again and abolished the existing system of Local Government at the time . Again the Governance of Agege remained with Ikeja for another six (6) years. Subsequently, there have been three other local governments carved out from Agege Local Government. They are: Alimosho, Ifako Ijaye and Orile-Agege Local Government Areas.

The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government area of Lagos State is Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi.^[5]

When Dasab Airlines existed, its Lagos office was in Agege.^[6]

Agege Local Government Area sustains a dynamic economy through vibrant markets like the Abattoir meat market and Alade market. These markets offer diverse commodities, contributing significantly to the local economy.^[7][6]

The inhabitants of Agege Local Government are multi-ethnic although the Awori are the indigenous inhabitants. Some major communities making up the Agege Local Government are Ogba, Asade, Dopemu, Orile, Magbon, Oko-Oba, Atobaje, Gbogunleri, Isale Oja, Oke-Koto, Panada, Tabon-Tabon, Ajegunle, Sango, Keke, Papa uku/Olusanya, Oniwaya, Moricas, Iloro, Mangoro, Darocha, Onipetesi, Alfa Nla and Agbotikuyo. The inhabitants of Agege Local Government are essentially Yorubas with the presence of sparse population of non-Yoruba speaking people.^[8]

The Agege bread is an unsliced bread. It is a bread in Agege. This unsliced bread became popular in Agege town a long time ago. The soft texture and long shelf life of this bread were loved and cherished by people. It had no name nor label. People began to refer to it as Agege Bread as its popularity grew. Agege bread is now one of Lagosians' favourite foods , being sold everywhere from breakfast tables to garages almost in all the streets of Lagos.^[5]

Wards under Agege Local Government Area^[7]

• Agbotikuyo
• Dopemu
• Darocha
• Iloro
• Onipetesi
• Isale Odo
• Isale
• Idimangoro
• Keke
• Okekoto
• Oniwaya
• Papa-uku
• Ori
• Orile Agege/oko Oba
• Oyewole/papa Ashafa
• Tabon Tabon/oko Oba

Ancient Settlements in Agege Ido Aadun Isale Odan Ido Gaun Ogba Ipodo Aaromi (Araromi) Ido Aagbosu Mulero Morekete Alaagba Ibironke Oyewole

In Agege / Orile Agege, the Chieftaincy Community has three recognized Obas and Six traditional members.

On 3 June 2012, Dana Air Flight 992 crashed into residential buildings in Agege while attempting to land at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, killing all 153 people on board and 10 other people on the ground.^[9]

It includes a campus of Lagos State University.^[10]

National Youth Service Corps Permanent Orientation Camp is located at Iyana-Ipaja Road, Agege.^[11]

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  Oba Akran roundabout Agege
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  Agege Stadium
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  A view of Agege Stadium
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  A bread Seller at Agege Community
• A community in Agege
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  A restaurant at Agege
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Railway stations in Nigeria

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agege.

• Agege Local Government
• New School, NYC. Sustainable Cities Club blog post about Agege, Lagos

06°37′19″N 03°19′33″E / 6.62194°N 3.32583°E / 6.62194; 3.32583