Yaba is a suburb located on Lagos Mainland, Lagos in Lagos State, Nigeria. With its educational institutions and technological start-ups, Yaba is considered the technological hub of Lagos. Inaugurated in 2021, the ultra-modern Mobolaji Johnson Central Station in Yaba connects Lagos with the country's third largest city, Ibadan, via one of the few standard-gauge railway lines in Africa. The bus station in Yaba stands out with its tent-like architecture. Yaba's market, especially around Tejuosho, is known as "the shopping centre of Lagos".
Yaba Local council Development area was carved out of the old Lagos Mainland Local government area, which was created in 1977 as a separate Local government following the national reform of Local governments in September 1976. Lagos Mainland was carved out of Lagos city council which administered the Lagos Metropolitan city consisting of Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland. With the creation of three more Local governments on 27 August 1991, the former Lagos mainland was re-constituted, with Surulere carved out of it. Yaba Local Council Development Area was one of the 37 newly created Local Council development areas created out of Lagos Mainland by the administration of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after the state assembly passed a law creating new Local Council development areas.
There are several federal government institutions in the area, which include Queen's College, Methodist Girl’s High School, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, the Yaba College of Technology, Igbobi College, the University of Lagos, the Federal Science and Technical College, Lagos state college of health technology (first college of health in Nigeria), and the Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka.
CETEP City University is a private university in Yaba. The university has been offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes since its establishment in 2005. [1]
Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) [2] is an institution that offers degree programmes in the health sector, such as Health Information Management, Pharmacy Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Community Health Extension and Environmental Health Technology; it is located in Yaba.
Yaba is also one of the favoured locations for the establishment of many companies. Thanks to numerous start-ups such as Hotels.ng, CcHUB and Andela, Yaba has developed into a technology centre. Andela is one of the seven tech unicorns of Africa[1].
The tech space in yaba became popular in late 2011 when Bosun Tijani and colleagues founded Cc-HUB, and it became one of Nigeria's pioneer startup incubator. With investment and support from organisations such as the Indigo Trust, Omidyar Network, MainOne Cable Company and the Lagos State government, it soon gained momentum and proceeded to install a fibre-optic-powered information superhighway. In 2011, former banker Seun Onigbinde co-founded BudgIT, a fiscal transparency project, on the third floor of CC Hub's six-storey building in Yaba. As one of the first early-stage startups to benefit from CC Hub's incubation drive in 2011, it received $5,000 of its $90,000 seed funding from billionaire businessman Tony Elumelu. Big names like Konga, eCommerce company valued at approximately $200 million as after raising $20 million in Series C rounds, arrived in 2013, while Africa Internet Group which has $469 million in 4 Rounds from six investors transferred six of its companies to Yaba in 2014. In same 2014 BudgIT received $400,000 grant from Omidyar. Mid 2016, Andela – a Nigerian-founded talent accelerator for programmers that has campuses in Lagos, Nairobi and New York – received $24 million in investment from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. In 2015, Hotels.ng, a hotel booking site in Nigeria secured $1.2 million in funding from Omidyar Network to expand its listings across Africa.
In 2016, Mark Zuckerberg attended a "Summer Bootcamp" where local children learn programming languages such as Python during their school holidays. [3]
Yaba also includes the floating district of Makoko, which is literally considered a "no-go area" due to its lack of solid ground, but is also an insider tip among boat-suitable tourists due to the special characteristics of the inhabitants who live on the water. [4] [5]
However, a visit to the "Venice of Africa" should only take place with a trustworthy tourist guide.
The Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital has been caring for psychiatric patients since 1907. [6]
The 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba played an integral role in the care of wounded Allied soldiers during World War II. [7]
Yaba market is also one of the busiest markets in Lagos. It is known for its low prices, and discount-price sales, especially in the evenings. [8]
The market is known for its exceptionally affordable clothing. At the Tejuosho market, you can find large quantities of imported second-hand trousers, dresses, jackets, etc. Nigerian clothing is also displayed on mannequins for sale. [8]
Those who do not want to shop in the open air can enter the Tejuosho shopping complex and browse through the various shops. Within the complex there is a pharmacy and several grocery and cosmetics shops. Another top shopping centre is the E-Centre, located directly on Commercial Avenue, and is home to the well-known Ozone cinemas. Many students visit the shopping centre to relax. There are various departments to fulfil the needs of visitors: e.g. for medical supplies, glasses, household goods and food. [8]
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimate of 21 million, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas. A megacity, it has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa, and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the 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.
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.
Oyo State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State for 337 km, to the southeast by Osun State for 187 km, partly across the River Osun, and to the south by Ogun State, and to the west by the Republic of Benin for 98 km. With a projected population of 7,976,100 in 2022, Oyo State is the sixth most populous in the Nigeria.
Ebute Metta is a neighbourhood of Lagos Mainland, Lagos, in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the others are the Eko and Carter bridges. It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. The phase one of the project was commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1980 and completed by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.
Lagos Mainland Local Government is a local government area in the Lagos Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located in central Lagos and has its headquarters at Ebute Metta.
Surulere is a local government area located on the mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria. It has an area of 23 km2 (8.9 sq mi). At the 2006 census, there were 503,975 inhabitants, with a population density of 21,864 inhabitants per square kilometer. The local government area is bordered by Yaba, Mushin and Ebute-Metta.
Yaba College of Technology, popularly known as YABATECH, was founded in 1947, and is Nigeria's first higher educational institution. It is located in Yaba, Lagos. As of 2008, it had a student enrollment of over 16,000. It also has a secondary school and a staff primary school.
Gilbert Oluwatosin Jesse was a factional Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) from 30 December 2002 until his death. He succeeded Philip Hunsu Ajose, who had died on 2 March 2001. There was a dispute over his leadership, with the International Headquarters of the church declaring that the Reverend Emmanuel Oschoffa, son of the church founder Samuel Oshoffa, was the leader. Following Jesse's death, his faction declared that Superior Evangelist Paul Suru Maforikan was the new spiritual leader of the church.
The following is a timeline of the history of the metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria.
Hotels.ng is a Nigerian online hotels booking agency which was launched in 2013. The platform was founded by Mark Essien who hails from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and claims to list over 7,138 hotels from 320 cities in Nigeria.
Temie Giwa-Tubosun is a Nigerian-American health manager, founder of LifeBank, a business enterprise in Nigeria working to improve access to blood transfusions in the country.
Oluseun Onigbinde is a Nigerian entrepreneur and open data analyst, known as the co-founder and CEO of budgIT, a Nigerian civic startup. Oluseun Onigbinde is an advocate for fiscal transparency and open data. In 2012, he was awarded the Future Awards Prize for Science and Tech Innovation. Oluseun on 13 September 2019, was appointed as Technical Adviser in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning. His appointment was controversial among government critics.
Co-Creation Hub, commonly referred to as Cc-HUB or the HUB, is a technology-oriented centre located in Yaba, a district of Lagos. Founded in 2010 by Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe, it provides a platform where technology-oriented people share ideas to solving social problems in Nigeria.
The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, also known as Yaba Psychiatric Hospital or Yaba Left, is a Nigerian Federal psychiatric hospital in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos.
Olanrewaju Adeyemi Tejuoso is a Nigerian politician. He was a senator from Ogun State at the 8th Assembly.
Lagos State College of Health Technology, fondly called LASCOHET, is one of the oldest college of health technology in Nigeria and was established in 1920.
Olatunbosun Tijani is a Nigerian-British entrepreneur who is the current Nigerian minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, since 2023.
BudgIT is a Nigerian civic organisation that applies technology for citizen engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change. The company, which launched operations in Lagos, Nigeria, was founded by Oluseun Onigbinde and Joseph Agunbiade in 2011 to provide social advocacy using technology.