My Lagos, The city of Lagos
A brief history of Lagos
The origin beauty and fashion of Nigeria is the state I was born and grow up precisely in Mushin LG.
The original settlers in Eko which form part of the area now known as Lagos used their land for farming. The name Lagos was given to the island area by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century even as the area grew into a successful trading post and become one of the nerve centers for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade over the course of the 15th to the 19th century, Lagos would become home to people from different parts of the world, including the original settlers, the Portuguese and other Europeans. the Agudas and the Saros, who were captives that had returned from brazil Cuba or sierra Leone.
For centuries, the area was ruled by Yoruba kings who went by the title ‘Oba’when he ascended the throne in 1841, Oba Akitoye met resistance from merchants as he tried to ban Slave trading in the area. He was deposed as king, and his nephew, Oba Kosoko, was crowned king in his stead. To regain his throne the deposed king sought the support of the British who had banned slave trading in 1807,
The attempt to regain the throne led to what is known as the Bombardment of Lagos at the end of 1851, it began on November 25, 1851, with an expedition led by commander Wilmot aboard HMS Bloodhound. Unexpectedly, the British met stiff opposition in Lagos, which led to the loss of many men and officers. They would return in December of that year prepared and Bombard Lagos, causing Oba Kosoko and his chiefs to flee and reinstating Oba Akitoye as ruler of the island.
After the bombardment, the British appointed a consul, and for 10 years, the consulate served to protect the interest of Britain’s citizens in Lagos and manage relations. However, it also expanded its reach and become so involved in local affairs that, in August 1861, the consular ended, and Lagos was annexed as Britain took over the rights and properties under the guise of ending the slave trade and tribal wars. The oba of Lagos at the time, Oba Dosunmu, was forced to sign a cession treaty that took formal possession of the island in the name of Queen Victoria, and a 21 –gun salute was fired from the ‘HMS Prometheus’ as the union jack was raised over Lagos, Lagos has formally declared a colony on March 5, 1862.
Proper development of the Lagos area started in 1863 when sir John Glover was appointed Governor, under him, the export of palm oil boomed and the first oil mill was established in Marina. At the time, the population of over 60,000 people. As the population grew over the years, so did infrastructure. The Apapa port was built to make a trade with Europe easier. In the late 1800s, telephone service and electricity were introduced. And by 1901, a steam tramway ran from Iddo Terminus to the marina and later to VI. Rail networks and bridges were also built to link Lagos city with the mainland area.
During his tenure as Governor, sir Glover improved drainage, erected street lamps across Lagos, and extended the marina area. Other notable colonial governors of the state include Governor Williams Mc Gregor, whose work in the area of sanitation helped to reduce the scourge of malaria, and Governor Sir Gibert Carter, who built a lot of transport infrastructure.
In 1906, the Crown Colony of Lagos was corporate into and made the capital of southern Nigeria. In January 1914, when lord Frederick Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates into Nigeria, Lagos was designated capital of Nigeria and remained so until 1976. The Amalgamation Ceremony took place at the Tinubu Square on Lagos Island.
In 1967, the Nigerian Federation was restructured and 12 states, including Lagos, were created from that time, Lagos served as both the capital of Lagos state and the Federal Capital of Nigeria, until 1976 when the federal capital territory of Abuja was created, and the state capital was moved from Lagos to Ikeja. In 1991, the seat of the federal government was officially relocated to the federal capital Territory, and Lagos state continued as one of the country’s 30 states. However, Lagos has effectively remained the commercial capital of Nigeria as it continues to be the hub of economic activities in the country.
With an estimated 20 million residents currently, Lagos is Nigeria‘s most economically viable state and is responsible.
For an estimated 65% of the country’s commercial activity. The state account for 70% of the nation of Nigeria. Lagos is also the fastest growing city in Africa and the 7thfastest growing city in the world.
However, it is not just the places and output that make Lagos. It is also the people. Lagos is home to people from all over Nigeria and indeed the world. It is a haven for those who come in daily, seeking to improve their fortune.
The city of Lagos, as initially defined, was bounded by the Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south respectively and made up of Lagos Harbour, snake Island Apapa, Lagos island Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Ajegunle, FESTAC Town, Surulere, and Lagos Mainland.
However, as of 2017, the above definition is no longer legally and geographically tenable, as an expanded metropolitan area is now a more accurate descriptor of Lagos is today a wonder in very many unique ways.
It is both a marvel and overwhelming energy generated by its mammoth population, their tireless round–the–clock activities, their bold darling and innovative creativity in business and socio-cultural activities, and a pervading aura of never–say–die and perennial hope for the better!
Lagos city is not for the faint-hearted or the non-believer. It is a place for industriousness and struggle, with an unflinching and unchanging ethos of, ‘’you can make it if you try! There are certain expressions that encapsulate living in Lagos. When a newcomer to Lagos (JJC -johnny just come)is rattled by the pace and race of life in Lagos city, or throw a mean curveball, he or she is sarcastically reminded by an old-time resident with the loaded expression. ‘’This is Lagos’’
Lagos city can be cruel as well as kind full of fashion and beauty. You chart your own life and future in Lagos city, which explains why, when you are in a transaction with someone in Lagos and you feel you are being taken for a fool,
You promptly and strongly alert the other person that, ‘I (you) have not come to Lagos just to admire the beauty and fashion especially its bridges and flyovers!’’ Then there is the veiled warning that, ‘’to come to Lagos nor hard (is easy) but to leave na wa (is not easy),’’ alluding that people usually come to come to Lagos with all their belongings in a pillowcase and eventually leave with trunks full of the best goodies. They say if you can’t make it in Lagos city you can’t make it anywhere else in the world! This is the enchanting lure of Lagos City.
A measure of the spirit of progress for survival and sustenance is well-captured in the local slogan, a motto of sorts. ‘’Eko o ni baje and itesiwaju ipinle Eko lo je wa logun ‘’meaning that ‘’ Lagos continual revival not destroy and we are Invested in the progress of Lagos State ‘’ Of course a whole lot has gone into and is still going into Lagos to guarantee that it continues to hold its place as the Centre of excellence. Lagos City can only get better and better.
