This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(March 2024)
Agege local, ogba town governmentOba Akran Statue Ogba Agege, Lagos
Etymology
Agege is an ancient Awori village of Otta dynasty founded by Aige. It was initially used for farming while he moved several miles into the uninhabited wild forest for hunting adventure before he finally settled alongside his children, wives and slaves on the area within 15th and 16th century. They were later joined by some family members and relatives from Otta, Oke Ata and other old Awori clans to form the old settlement. The name Agege was a corruption of an individual named “Aige” or “Aiyige” alias Agerige who was a hunter and warrior during his lifetime from Olorogun Dynasty in Osi Quarters, Iga Iloti currently Otta Ogun State.
Ancient Agege included foremost settlements like: Orile, Ogba, Ikola, Meiran, Ekoro, Aboru, Ayobo and Later Mosan, Alimosho and Ganganja and said to cover vast area land under the control of Baale Alaige.
Around early 19th, Agege has more heterogeneous population than any other town of its size in Nigeria with six thousand people and more than two thousand floating population. Agege Planters' Union did much good work during the food crisis in Lagos then. Acting not only as a medium of agricultural intelligence but also as provident society and more.
During the Old Colony Agege was hub for cocoa and Kola nut and housed the Colonial farm settlement with the Office of the Assistant District Officer.
Orile Agege is well known for Yoruba ancient deities and festivals. Festivals usually celebrated in includes Egungun festival, Gelede Festival, etc
Geography
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.[2]
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.[2]
History
Agege was a corruption of a name of an individual called Aige or Aiyige (just like Success "Aayege" in Yoruba language, means success or being successful in an ancient Awori aborigine dialect)) who founded and settled having consulted his oracle 'Ifa" before settling on the part of his farmland named idàà adun/Idò Adun, located within the current day ídéè bua and ipodo Orile Agege before moving to Isale odon.
"Orile" means "proper" (Agege proper) is often used to distinguish the old settlement from the recent settled town called Agege station which was settled by traders in the late 19th century thus booming kola nuts trade, accelerated by Railway shed which complemented the emerging Agege market activities in the town. As recorded 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 the center of a large kola and cocoa producing area. And In the year 1933 more than 50% of the kolas consumed in Nigeria passed through the Agege Railway goods sheds.”
Contrary to Ilu Awon Ageigi, The old Agege was an 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 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 until 17th and 18th century 1850s saw the people of Agege move to Lagos for shelter and the then Bale Alaige 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 on the available list to be granted subsidies by Governor among other old villages during the old colony in the year 1888. While the remainder of the country was being opened up the hinterland of Lagos (including Agege ) 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, Égba from Abeokuta, other Yorubas, Nupe, Ekitis migrants who founded many settlements. Also most of trader whom came to trade decided to stayed due rapid economic growth. 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.
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.[3] 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.[3] It is worthy to note that large scale cocoa plantations in Yorubaland started at Agege,[3] 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.[3] 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.[3]
In the year 1912, after the completion of Railway terminal, 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 was 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.
The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government area of Lagos State is Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi.[4]
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]
People
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, Ido-Gòun, Magbon, Oko-Oba, Atobaje, Gbogunleri, Isale Oja, Isale Odan, Oke-Koto, Ipodo, Panada, Tabon-Tabon, Ajegunle, Oyewole, Lemomu Edara, Papa Ashafa & Ewedairo, Sango, Oyewole, Mulero, 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]
Agege Bread
The Agege bread is an unsliced bread which 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 until people began to refer to it as 'Agege Bread' as its popularity grew. Agege bread is now one of Lagosians' favourite foods, being sold and enjoyed everywhere from breakfast tables to garages in almost all the streets of Lagos.[4]
Ancient Settlements in Agege (that are still part of the town)
Orile Agege:
Ido Aadun
Isale Odan
Ido Gaun
Ipodo
Aaromi (Araromi)
Ido Aagbosu
Magbon
Mulero
Onilekere
Masaku
Ganganja
Ogba:
Ashade
Alausa
Agbede
Adekunle
Operekete
Akinode
George: Omole, Aguda and Suberu
Traditional rulers
In Agege / Orile Agege, the Chieftaincy Community has three recognized Obas and Six traditional members. List of Obas 1. HRM Alayige of Orile Agege 2. HRM Olu of Agege Kingdom 3. HRM Ologba of Ogba
Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commercial town with shopping malls, pharmacies and government reservation areas. It lies 10.5 miles (17 km) northwest of Lagos city. The Murtala Muhammed International Airport is located in the city. Ikeja is also home to Femi Kuti's Africa Shrine and Lagbaja's Motherland, both venues for live music. Its Ikeja City Mall is the largest shopping mall on the Lagos State mainland. Ikeja also has its own radio station, broadcasting both in English and in Yoruba.
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Yorubaland is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of 142,114 km2 (54,871 sq mi). Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Nigeria, 18.9% in Benin, and the remaining 6.5% is in Togo. Prior to European colonization, a portion of this area was known as Yoruba country. The geo-cultural space contains an estimated 55 million people, the majority of this population being ethnic Yoruba.
Ota is a town in Ogun State, Nigeria with an estimated 163,783 residents. Ota is the capital of the Ado–Odo/Ota Local Government Area. The traditional leader of Ota is the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi AbdulKabir Obalanlege. Historically, Ota is the capital of the Awori Yoruba tribe.
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. As a Nigerian state, Ogun is the second most industrialised state after Lagos, with a focus on metal processing. It has good road and rail connections to the harbours in Lagos and Lekki. Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 1986, lives in Ogun.
Ebute Metta is a neighbourhood of Lagos Mainland, Lagos, in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Ilaro is a town in Ogun State, Nigeria. Ilaro town houses about 57,850 people. Ilaro is the headquarters of the Yewa South Local government, now known as YEWALAND which replaced the Egbado division of the former Western State, and later became a part of Ogun State of Nigeria. Ilaro town is about 50 km from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and about 100 km from Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos State.
The Ẹgbado, now Yewa, are a subgroup of the Yoruba people and mostly inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in south-west Nigeria, Africa. In 1995, the group's name was changed to Yewa after the Yewa River, the river (odo) they foraged towards. The name of this river is derived from the Yoruba goddess Yewa. Yewa/Ẹgbado mainly occupy four Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon, and Ipokia, while the Ado-Odo/Ota LGA forms the fifth Awori part of the senatorial district. Other Yewa/Ẹgbado are located in Lagos West, Lagos East, Oyo North, and Oyo South senatorial zones.
The Awori is a subgroup of the Yoruba people speaking a dialect of the Yoruba language. The Awori people are the original inhabitants of Lagos State and some parts of Ogun State, namely Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The Awori people are landowners, farmers and fishermen.
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; 77 kilometres (48 mi) north of Lagos by railway, or 130 kilometres (81 mi) by water. As of 2006, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 449,088.
Obafemi Owode is a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Owode at 6°57′N3°30′E.
Ifo is a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ifo at 6°49′00″N3°12′00″E.It has an area of 521 km2 (201 sq mi) and a population of 698,837 at the 2006 census "Adebami-Tella". The postal code of the area is 112.
Ado-Odo is the metropolitan headquarters of the ancient kingdom of Ado, renowned for its Oduduwa/Obatala temple, the ancient fortress of the traditional practice of Ifá. Oodu'a is also regarded by traditionalists as the mother of all other deities. All of these made Ado an inviolate territory in western Yorubaland—the same "father-figure" status accorded to Ile-Ife. Unlike the other kingdoms, which had at one time or the other engaged in the internecine wars that ravaged Yorubaland in the nineteenth century, Ado stood out as an unconquered sanctuary city-state throughout the period.
Lagos Colony was a British colonial possession centred on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was annexed on 6 August 1861 under the threat of force by Commander Beddingfield of HMS Prometheus who was accompanied by the Acting British Consul, William McCoskry. Oba Dosunmu of Lagos resisted the cession for 11 days while facing the threat of violence on Lagos and its people, but capitulated and signed the Lagos Treaty of Cession. Lagos was declared a colony on 5 March 1862. By 1872, Lagos was a cosmopolitan trading centre with a population over 60,000. In the aftermath of prolonged wars between the mainland Yoruba states, the colony established a protectorate over most of Yorubaland between 1890 and 1897. The protectorate was incorporated into the new Southern Nigeria Protectorate in February 1906, and Lagos became the capital of the Protectorate of Nigeria in January 1914. Since then, Lagos has grown to become the largest city in West Africa, with an estimated metropolitan population of over 9,000,000 as of 2011.
Iddo Island is a district in Lagos Mainland LGA of Lagos. Opposite Lagos Island, Iddo used to be an island, but due to land reclamation, is now part of the rest of Lagos Mainland. Iddo Island is connected to Lagos Island by the Eko Bridge and the Carter Bridge. Prior to the landfill, Iddo was connected to the Lagos Mainland by the Denton Bridge, named after Sir George Chardin Denton, former Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Lagos. Iddo is home to the Lagos Terminus and was the first and only place in Nigeria to host a tram service - linking Lagos Island through Carter Bridge.
Ago-Oba is electoral ward 13 in the city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. It is part of the Abeokuta South Local Government Area. Has about 250 Village in England
The Saro, or Nigerian Creoles of the 19th and early 20th centuries, were Africans that were emancipated and initially resettled in Freetown, Sierra Leone by the Royal Navy, which, with the West Africa Squadron, enforced the abolition of the international slave trade after the British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act 1807. Those freedmen who migrated back to Nigeria from Sierra Leone, over several generations starting from the 1830s, became known locally as Saro(elided form of Sierra Leone, from the Yoruba sàró). Consequently, the Saro are culturally descended from Sierra Leone Creoles, with ancestral roots to the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
Ojo is a town and local government area in Lagos State, Nigeria, with a few notable locations such as Lagos State University and the Alaba International Market as well as others. Ojo is located on the eastern section of the Trans–West African Coastal Highway, about 37 km west of Lagos. It is a part of the Lagos Metropolitan Area.
Iju also known as Iju Oloko [idʒou ɔ:lɔkɔ], is a Nigerian town located in southern Ogun state and about 18 kilometers from Lagos state, a major commercial hub in West Africa. The town is inhabited mostly by Egba/Owu natives whose ancestors settled there between 1842 and 1845.
Wasinmi or Wasimi is an Egba town located on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ewekoro local government of Ogun State. It is a few miles from Abeokuta. It is home to one of the oldest churches in the area, St. Michael's Anglican Church, and home to Odegbami International College and Sports Academy.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Nigeria 
