Ikeja | |
---|---|
Municipality | |
Ikeja Local Government Area | |
Coordinates: 6°36′N3°21′E / 6.60°N 3.35°E | |
Country | Nigeria |
State | Lagos State |
LGA(s) | Ikeja |
Area | |
• Total | 49.92 km2 (19.27 sq mi) |
• Land | 49.92 km2 (19.27 sq mi) |
Elevation | 39 m (128 ft) |
Population (2022 estimate) [1] | |
• Total | 470,200 |
• Density | 9,400/km2 (24,000/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Climate | Aw |
Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. [2] Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, [3] 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. [4] 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. [5] 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 (Eko FM) and in Yoruba (Radio Lagos). [6]
Ikeja, which was formally called "Akeja", was named after a deity of the Awori people of Ota. [7] It was originally settled by the Awori people, and the area was raided for slaves until the mid-19th century. [8] Early in the 20th century, it became an agricultural hinterland for Lagos. The opening of the Lagos-Ibadan railway in 1901 and the growth of Lagos as a port transformed Ikeja into a residential and industrial suburb of that city. [9] In the mid-1960s an industrial estate was established, and in 1976 Ikeja became the capital of Lagos state. [10] Johnson Solanke Tomori was an important in the history of Ikeja. He contributed to all the socio-cultural aspects of Ikeja, Agidingbi, Oregun, Alausa, Ojodu, and all the suburbs of Ikeja. His contributions date back to 1965, when he brought a higher level of social consciousness to Ikeja.
The local government administrative headquarters of Ikeja is located within the Ikeja Local Government premises. As of June 2019, the Chairman (Mayor) of Ikeja's local government is Engr. Mojeed Balogun. [11]
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has its headquarters in Ikeja on the grounds of Murtala Muhammad Airport. [12] The Accident Investigation Bureau of the Nigerian government has its headquarter in Ikeja. [13] The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has its head office in Aviation House on the grounds of the airport; [14] this was formerly just the Lagos office. [15]
Several airlines have their head offices located in Ikeja. Arik Air's head office is in the Arik Air Aviation Centre on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed Airport. [16] Aero Contractors has its head office on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed Airport. [17] [18] Other airlines with Ikeja head offices include Overland Airways, [19] Air Peace, [20] Associated Aviation, [21] and Dana Air. [22] In addition, Virgin Atlantic has its Nigerian office in "The Place" in Ikeja. [23]
At one point, Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House. [24] [25] [26] Before it was dissolved, Afrijet Airlines had its head office in the NAHCO Building on the grounds of the airport. [27] Bellview Airlines had its headquarters in the Bellview Plaza. [28] Other now-defunct airlines with head offices in Ikeja include Air Nigeria (formerly Nigerian Eagle and Virgin Nigeria Airways), on the 9th Floor of Etiebets Place, [29] Sosoliso Airlines, [30] and ADC Airlines. [31]
Ikeja is home to Nigeria's most important television studios, such as Channels TV and African Independent TV, as well as associated advertising agencies.
Ikeja is home to a large computer market, popularly known as Otigba. Begun in 1997 as a small market of only 10 shops, the current market now has well over 3000. While most vendors provide the expected computer sales and repair services, it is also possible to find sales and repair services for various types of office equipment and electronic devices. [32]
By 2019, the little shops at Computer Village had grown to multiple-storey shopping malls. Many of the single-floor buildings have been developed into larger buildings, housing several shops that distribute and repair mobile phones, laptops, printers and other electronic devices. Nearly all the major Nigerian banks have branches around the market.[ citation needed ]
As the market is unplanned, it has experienced difficulties in its growth, with some local residents expressing frustration at the market's expansion. Traffic around the area has become very congested, and it can be almost impossible to find a place to park. Furthermore, the electrical infrastructure, which was already unreliable, has become overloaded by the new market, which requires significant amounts of electricity to demonstrate working computer products to potential customers. [33]
The Guinness brewery produces its famous beer in Ikeja. Apparently, the average Nigerian drinks larger quantities of this beverage than the average Irishman. [34] The brewery also produces non-alcoholic and halal malt beer, which is part of the "Lagos' way of life". [35]
60% of West Africa's pharmaceutical production takes place in Nigeria. [36] The majority of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers have their main production site in Ikeja. This includes May & Baker, one of the three largest manufacturers of medicines.
A slum in Ikeja was selected by C. J. Obasi as a production location for the 2014 Nollywood thriller, Ojuju. [37]
Ikeja also has a main market area called Oba Momodu Illo (Obada) market in Ipodo. This market contains many shops and makeshift stalls where merchants display and sell produce, meat, fish, grains, and other groceries. [38]
The Kalakuta Museum commemorates the late musician Fela Kuti, who probably had a formative role in Nigeria's music world comparable to that of Bob Marley in Jamaica. The building was the musician's second home in Lagos after soldiers burnt down his first home in Surulere in February 1977, raped female family members and injured Kuti's mother, a respected trade union leader, so badly that she died as a result. Kuti built a new house in Ikeja, but it fell into disrepair after his death and had to be renovated as a museum in 2012. Kuti's grave is located next to the museum. Inside the museum, the walls are covered with historical photos, posters, paintings, murals, record covers and newspaper cuttings. Some of Fela's musical instruments are on display, including his colourfully painted, distinctive tenor saxophone. Fela's shoes and shirts are on display in rows, as are stage suits and the fur coat he wore on tour in Europe and the USA. There is a rooftop café, and visitors can stay overnight in one of several air-conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms. [39]
Jhalobia Recreation Park and Gardens is owned by a certain Mrs Veronica Adepoju and her two daughters - three trained landscape designers who display everything their art has to offer on just under one hectare. [40] The place is very photogenic and is therefore regularly booked for weddings and other festivities. In between such events, Jhalobia is praised as an island of tranquillity in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Lagos. [41]
Contrary to what the name suggests, the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja is not a shrine, [42] but a music bar run by the descendants of Fela Kuti. It unfolds its special charm when live music is playing; it is also the only place in Lagos where you can legally smoke a joint. [43] The Afrika Shrine was Fela's second home until a few weeks before his death in 1997, after which it fell into disrepair. The New Afrika Shrine, opened in 2000, was built by his family under the direction of his eldest daughter Yeni and eldest son Femi. Their main concern was to honour and preserve the contribution Fela and the Shrine have made to the local community and the overall development of post-colonial Africa. Most events at the New Afrika Shrine are free of charge. Femi performs with his band The Positive Force every Thursday and Sunday when he is not on tour. His younger brother Seun performs with Egypt 80 every last Saturday of the month. The new club is four times the size of the original Shrine and seats two and a half thousand people. Overheads are covered by the sale of food, drinks and merchandise. Admission is usually 500 naira, half a US dollar. The club has a small library, pool tables and chill-out areas and organises educational and outreach activities. [42]
It has a tropical monsoon climate. The majority of the year's months get heavy rainfall. The brief dry season has very little impact on the climate as a whole. The Köppen-Geiger scale rates this area's climate as Am. Ikeja's typical temperature is 26.4 °C (79.5 °F). About 1645 mm (64.8 inches) of precipitation falls here each year.
The summers in Ikeja are ill-defined because of the city's proximity to the equator. Visitation is most often in January, July, August, September, October, November, and December. [44] [45] [46]
Climate data for Ikeja (Murtala Muhammed International Airport) (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 36.7 (98.1) | 38.9 (102.0) | 38 (100) | 36.2 (97.2) | 35.8 (96.4) | 34 (93) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.3 (90.1) | 37.7 (99.9) | 39 (102) | 35.5 (95.9) | 36.8 (98.2) | 39.0 (102.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.0 (91.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 30.1 (86.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 29.3 (84.7) | 30.6 (87.1) | 32.3 (90.1) | 33.2 (91.8) | 31.6 (88.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.1 (82.6) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.7 (81.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.5 (74.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | 16 (61) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20 (68) | 19 (66) | 13.7 (56.7) | 20 (68) | 18 (64) | 19.9 (67.8) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 11 (52) | — | 11 (52) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 23.7 (0.93) | 43.6 (1.72) | 71.4 (2.81) | 141.6 (5.57) | 205.3 (8.08) | 291.0 (11.46) | 195.1 (7.68) | 72.4 (2.85) | 205.8 (8.10) | 183.1 (7.21) | 93.8 (3.69) | 22.6 (0.89) | 1,549.3 (61.00) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 10.6 | 15.1 | 11.3 | 7.3 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 92.3 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 77.7 | 81.3 | 84.2 | 86.0 | 86.7 | 88.2 | 88.5 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 88.2 | 84.3 | 78.8 | 85.1 |
Source: NOAA [47] |
With an average daily high temperature above 90°F, the hot season lasts for 4.4 months, from December 12 to April 25. Ikeja experiences its warmest month of the year in March, with an average high of 91°F and low of 78°F.
With an average daily maximum temperature below 84°F, the chilly season lasts 3.2 months, from June 23 to September 30. In Ikeja, August is the coldest month of the year, with an average low of 74°F and high of 82°F. [45]
In Ikeja, there is a substantial seasonal change in the average proportion of the sky that is covered with clouds throughout the year.
In Ikeja, the clearer season starts around November 8 and lasts for 3.2 months, finishing around February 13.
The sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly overcast 51% of the time on average in December, the clearest month of the year in Ikeja.
Around February 13 the year's cloudier period starts, lasting for 8.8 months, and ends around November 8.
In Ikeja, April is the month with the most clouds, with the sky being overcast or mostly cloudy 87% of the time. [45]
Premium Times’ Oladeinde Olawoyin, who investigated the matter, reports the dangers that residents face due to the exposure and continuous use of polluted water. Residents of St. Finbarr’s College road in Akoka have been exposed to hazards arising from water pollution caused by a fuel leakage in the community. [48]
Districts in the city include:
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.
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) is an international airport located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and is the major airport serving the entire state. The airport was initially built during World War II and is named after Murtala Muhammed (1938–1976), the fourth military ruler of Nigeria.
ADC Airlines was a Nigerian airline owned by Aviation Development Company plc and headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. It operated domestic scheduled services and regional charter flights. It had applied to be designated on international routes. Its main base was Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
Overland Airways is an airline based in Ikeja in Lagos State, Nigeria. Its main base is Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, with a hub at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited, known as Aero Contractors or simply Aero, is a state-controlled Nigerian airline company based at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Furthermore, it operates helicopter services and fixed wing domestic and international scheduled passenger services, air charter and third party aircraft operations, largely in support of Nigeria's extensive oil and gas industry.
Bellview Airlines was an airline headquartered at Bellview Plaza in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Founded in 1992 and having had 308 employees, it operated scheduled passenger flights within Africa as well as international flights to London Heathrow Airport; Amsterdam Airport Schiphol; Dubai International Airport; Madrid–Barajas Airport; Düsseldorf Airport and Madrid–Barajas Airport out of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. The airline was shut down in 2009.
Associated Aviation was an airline based in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was established in 1996 and operates passenger and cargo services within Nigeria and in West Africa. Its main base was Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. As of June 2019, it is no longer operational.
Afrijet Airlines was an airline with its head office in the NAHCO Building on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Nigeria. It was established and started regional cargo operations in 1999. Its main base was Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
Sosoliso Airlines Limited was a Nigerian scheduled, domestic, passenger airline. For much of its existence it had its head office in Ikeja, Lagos State. Originally its head office was on the grounds of Enugu Airport in Enugu.
Air Nigeria was the national flag carrier of Nigeria, which operated scheduled regional and domestic passenger services. The airline's base was Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, its head office was in Lagos Island, Lagos, and its registered office was in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Nigeria Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Nigeria Airways, was a one-time Nigerian airline. The company was founded in 1958 after the dissolution of West African Airways Corporation (WAAC). It held the name West African Airways Corporation Nigeria until 1971, when it was renamed, until it ceased operations in 2003. The government of Nigeria owned a majority of the airline (51%) until 1961, when it boosted its shareholding in the company to 100% and made it the country's flag carrier. At the time of dissolution, the airline's headquarters were at Airways House in Abuja. Operations were concentrated at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and served both domestic and international destinations mainly concentrated in West Africa; the network also had points in Europe, North America and Saudi Arabia. The airline was managed by a number of foreign companies, including British Airways, KLM and South African Airways.
Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating mainly from two hubs at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Arik Air's head office is the Arik Air Aviation Center on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja. Arik Air serves a network of regional and mid-haul destinations within Africa.
Dana Air is a Nigerian airline headquartered in Ikeja, in the southwest of the country, and based in Lagos's Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is a service organization statutorily charged to manage all Commercial Airports in Nigeria and provide service to both passenger and cargo airlines. Generally, to create conditions for the development in the most economic and efficient manner of air transport and the services connected with it. The agency has its head office in Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Azman Air Services Limited is a Nigerian-based domestic airline company. Established in 2010 by businessman Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the airline operates scheduled domestic passenger services with its main base in Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The New Afrika Shrine is an open air entertainment centre located in Ikeja, Lagos State. It serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival. Currently managed by Femi Kuti and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, it is the replacement of the old Afrika Shrine created in 1970 by Fela Kuti until it was burnt down in 1977. The New Afrika Shrine showcases photo galleries of Fela and music performances by Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti thus making it a tourist attraction.
Felabration is an annual music festival conceived in 1998 by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti in memory and celebration of her father Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician and human rights activist known for pioneering the Afrobeat genre of music. The one-week-long event which is held annually at the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, attracts visitors from different countries and has thus been considered as an official tourist destination by the Lagos State Government.
United Nigeria Airlines Limited, trading as United Nigeria Airlines, is a private airline in Nigeria. The new start-up received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC), on 1 February 2021. Headquartered in the city of Enugu, with an office in Abuja, and with its operations base at Enugu International Airport, United Nigeria Airlines started with four aircraft to operate scheduled flights between nine Nigerian cities: Abuja, Onitsha, Asaba, Yenagoa, Warri, Enugu, Owerri, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.
Ọmọ́rìnmádé Kútì known professionally as Made Kuti, is a Nigerian afrobeat singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. He released his debut album titled For(e)ward in 2021.
Visit our office AVIATION HOUSE P.M.B. 21029, 21038 Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Head Office: 25, Sobo Arobiodu Street GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
PO Box 136 Airways House, Ikeja Lagos Nigeria 22646
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