Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

southwestern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with

Benin Republic Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

, Lagos State borders

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to th ...

to the east and north making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967. Geographically, Lagos State is dominated by bodies of water with nearly a quarter of the state's area being lagoons, creeks, and rivers. The largest of these bodies are the

and

Lekki Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoining to its west Victoria Island and Ikoyi districts of Lagos, with the Atlantic Ocean to its south, Lagos Lagoon ...

lagoons in the state's interior with the

Ogun Ogun or Ogoun (Yoruba: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a spirit that appears in several African religions. He attempted to seize the throne after the demise of Obatala, who ...

and

Osun Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of the most popular and venerated ...

rivers flowing into them. Many other rivers and creeks flow throughout the state and serve as vital means of transportation for people and goods. On land, non-urbanized areas are within the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

Nigerian lowland forests The Nigerian lowland forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southwestern Nigeria and southeastern Benin. The ecoregion is densely populated, and home to several large cities including Lagos, Ibadan, and Benin City. There is still signifi ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

with natural areas containing threatened populations of

mona monkey The mona monkey (''Cercopithecus mona'') is an Old World monkey that lives in western Africa between Ghana and Cameroon. The mona monkey can also be found on the island of Grenada as it was transported to the island aboard slave ships headed to ...

tree pangolin The tree pangolin (''Phataginus tricuspis'') is one of eight extant species of pangolins ("scaly anteaters"), and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the white-bellied pangolin or three-cusped pangolin, it is the most common of the ...

, and hooded vulture along with a transitory population of African bush elephants. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are large fish populations along with African manatees and crocodiles. Lagos State has been inhabited for years by various indigenous ethnic groups, primarily the majority

Yoruba people The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitut ...

that live throughout the state but also the Ewe and Ogu peoples in the far west. As a result of migration since the nineteenth century, Lagos State also has large populations of non-native Nigerian ethnic groups with Edo,

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Izon people or Izon Otu, otherwise known as the Ijaw people due to the historic mispronunciation of the name ''Izon'', are an ethnic group majorly found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant populatio ...

Ibibio Ibibio may refer to: * Ibibio language * Ibibio people * Ibibio Sound Machine, an English electronic afro-funk band who sing in Ibibio See also * Ibiblio ibiblio (formerly SunSITE.unc.edu and MetaLab.unc.edu) is a "collection of collections" ...

, and

Nupe Nupe may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language *The Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African Amer ...

peoples among other Nigerian groups. There are also groups from outside of Nigeria's modern borders with the Saro (Sierra Leonean) and Amaro (Brazilian) groups being descendants of formerly enslaved people that returned to Africa in the 1800s with a longstanding Middle Eastern Nigerian community (mainly Syrian and Lebanese Nigerians) also forming a significant part of Lagos' population along with recent immigrants from

, China,

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Religiously the state is also diverse as about 55% of the state's population are Christian with around 40% being Muslim and the remaining 5% following traditional ethnic religions or other religions. In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Lagos State was mainly

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

villages and ports that at various points were controlled by states including the

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire of West Africa made up of parts of present-day eastern Benin and western Nigeria (including Southwest zone and the western half of Northcentral zone). It grew to become the largest Yoruba-speaking s ...

and Benin Empire until the early 1800s when the city of

had developed into a major kingdom of its own right. In 1850, the British successfully attacked the kingdom in the

Bombardment of Lagos The Reduction of Lagos or Bombardment of Lagos was the British Royal Navy's attacks on Lagos in the fourth quarter of 1851 with the goal of abolishing the Atlantic slave trade and deposing Lagos monarch Kosoko for refusing to end the slave trade ...

before installing an ally as Oba and signing a treaty that established Lagos as being under British protection. Ten years later, the forced

Lagos Treaty of Cession The Treaty of Cession, 6 August 1861 or the Lagos Treaty of Cession was a treaty between the British Empire and Oba Dosunmu of Lagos (spelt 'Docemo' in English documents) wherein Dosunmu, under the threat of military bombardment, ceded Lagos Isl ...

led to the formal establishment of the

Lagos Colony 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 Ac ...

. In 1906, the colony was incorporated into the new

Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River. The ...

which merged into

British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...

in 1914 with the city of

as its capital. Upon independence in 1960, Lagos remained as the capital with much of the city forming the Federal Capital Territory while the rest of modern-day Lagos State was a part of the Western Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became Lagos State. Economically, Lagos State is one of the most important states in the country as a major financial centre and would be one of the largest economies in Africa if it were a country with a

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...

of $84 billion comparable with

's $75 billion,

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

's $70 billion, and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

's $93 billion. Lagos State is also a key culture, education, and transportation hub for

and Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite being beset by overcrowding and chronic debilitating traffic, Lagos State has the highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...

in Nigeria and numerous developmental projects.

History

Early history

Before the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

name of Lagos had been adopted, Lagos' initial name was Eko which referred mainly to the

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

. The first to settle in Eko were the

Awori Awori is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aggrey Awori (1939–2021), Ugandan economist and politician *Maria Awori (born 1984), Kenyan swimmer *Moody Awori (born 1927), Kenyan politician See also *Awori tribe The Awori is ...

s in the 15th century and the Binis in the 16th century. The

s were conquered by the Benin Empire. The Awori hunters and fishermen had originally come from Ile-Ife to the coast. It was in 1760 that the name Lagos was adopted by the Portuguese. Naming it after a city in Southern Portugal which was used as port for

Slave Trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. In 1861, Oba Docemo was the one who signed the treaty making Lagos a British Colony.

Post-colonial era

Lagos State was created on 27 May 1967 according to the ''State Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14 of 1967'', which restructured Nigeria into a

federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

of 12 states. Before the issuance of this Decree, Lagos city, which was the country's capital had been administered directly by the Federal Government through the ''Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs''. However,

Ikeja 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 commercia ...

Agege Agege is a suburb and local government area in the Ikeja Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. Etymology When the kolanut plantations in the Agege area started to flourish it attracted huge settlements. Agege experienced rapid development ...

, Mushin,

Ikorodu Ikorodu is a large city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the north-east of Lagos, along the Lagos Lagoon and shares boundary with Ogun State. With a population of over 1million inhabitant, Ikorodu is currently the 12 largest city in Nig ...

, Epe, surulere, and

Badagry Badagry (traditionally Gbagli) also spelled Badagri, is a coastal town and Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is quite close to the city of Lagos, and located on the north bank of Porto Novo Creek, an inland waterway that con ...

were administered by the then Western Region Government. Lagos, the city, along with these other towns were captured to create the state of Lagos, with the state becoming fully recognized as a

semi-autonomous In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...

administrative division on 11 April 1968. Lagos served the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital until 1976 when the capital of the state was moved to

. After the full establishment of the

Federal Capital Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

, based on the recommendation of a of the Akinola Àgùdà–led committee set up by General Murtala Muhammed to review the need for a new capital for Nigeria in 1975. The seat of the Federal Government was formally relocated to Abuja on 12 December 1991. Nevertheless, Lagos remains the financial centre of the country, and even grew to become the most populous city in the state and the country.

Cities and towns

Lagos

Lagos is the most populous city in Lagos State, Nigeria as a whole, and the continent of Africa. The conurbation is one of the most populous in the world. Lagos is a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

which originated on islands separated by creeks, such as Lagos Island, fringing the southwest mouth of

Lagos Lagoon Lagos Lagoon is a lagoon found in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, the most populous city in Africa. The name ''Lagos'' means 'lakes' in Portuguese, therefore ''Lagos Lagoon'' is an example of a tautological place name. The lagoon lies between the ...

while protected from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from ...

s and long

sand spit A spit or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift by longshore currents. The drift occurs due to ...

s such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to east and west of the mouth. The metropolitan area of Lagos includes

(which is the capital of Lagos State) and

and Mushin.

Ikeja

Ikeja is the state capital of Lagos State.

is a planned residential and commercial town with shopping malls, pharmacies and government reserved areas. The

Murtala Mohammed International Airport Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) ( yo, Pápá Ọkọ̀ Òfurufú Káríayé Múrítàlá Mùhammẹ̀d) is an international airport located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and is the major airport serving the entire state. The ai ...

is in Ikeja. Ikeja is also home to Fela Kuti's African Shrine, Late Chief

Gani Fawehinmi Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, , (22 April 1938 – 5 September 2009) was a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, human and civil rights lawyer, and politician. He held the chieftaincy title of the Lamofi ...

house and Lagbaja's Motherland. It also boasts the largest shopping mall on the mainland.

Lekki

is a city in the south eastern part of the state. It is a naturally formed peninsula, it is still largely under construction. As of 2015, only phase 1 of the project had been completed, with phase 2 nearing completion. The peninsula is approximately 70 to 80 km long, with an average width of 10 km. Lekki currently houses several estates, gated residential developments, agricultural farmlands, areas allocated for a Free Trade Zone, an airport, and a sea port under construction. The proposed land use master plan for the Lekki envisages the Peninsula as a "Blue-Green Environment City", expected to accommodate over 3.4 million residential population and an additional non-residential population of at least 1.9 million.

Ikorodu

Ikorodu is a city located north east of the state along the

. It shares a boundary with

. As of the 2006 Census Ikorodu had a population of 535,619.it is the third largest city in the south west after Ibadan and Lagos and the 12th largest city in Nigeria. It has an 2022 estimated population of 1,041,066. The population of the city currently grows at 5.26% annually and it is projected to reach 1.7million by 2035

Eko Atlantic

Eko Atlantic is a planned city being constructed on land reclaimed from the

. It is located on the former Lagos' Bar Beach. Upon completion, the new island which is still under development is anticipating at least 250,000 residents and a daily flow of at least 150,000 commuters. The development will also have a positive environmental impact; its purpose is to stop the erosion of the Lagos coastline. The

Eko Atlantic City Eko Atlantic, officially Nigeria International Commerce city, also known as Eko Atlantic City, or the initials E.A.C. and E.A., is a planned city of Lagos State, Nigeria, being constructed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. Upon completion ...

project received global recognition in 2009, as the

Lagos State government Lagos State Government is the government of Lagos State, concerned with the administration of the state ministries. The government consists of the executive, legislative and Judiciary. The government is headed by the Governor who is the policy-maker ...

and its private sector partners on the Project, South Energyx, received the

Clinton Global Initiative The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was es ...

Commitment Certificate.

Badagry

Badagry is a coastal town in the state. It is situated between Metropolitan Lagos, and the border of the

Republic of Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Republic of Dahomey, Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burki ...

at Seme. As of the preliminary 2006

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

results, the municipality had a population of 241,093.Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette
, published 15 May 2007, accessed 8 July 2007 The area is led by a traditional king, Akran De Wheno Aholu Menu – Toyi 1, who is also the permanent vice-chairman of obas and chiefs in Lagos State. It is known to hold the country's oldest storey building. Badagry is home to the

Egun The Gun people, also rendered Ogũ, Ogun and Egun, are an ethnic group located majorly in Lagos and Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria, and Ouémé Department in the southeast of the Republic of Benin, who speak the Gun language. The Ogu accoun ...

people who are predominantly fishermen.

Epe

Epe is a town located on the north side of the

Lekki Lagoon Lekki Lagoon is a lagoon located in Lagos and Ogun states in Nigeria. The lagoon lies directly to the east of Lagos Lagoon and is connected to it by a channel. It is surrounded by many beaches. Real Estate Developments There are two phases in th ...

. It is popular for the fishing activities attributed to the city. Per the 2006 Census the population of Epe was 181,409. Epe is widely regarded as Lagos's fishing capital. Fishing is the main occupation of the people here, so it is no surprise that a sculpture of two giant fishes, erected at the Lekki-Epe T-Junction, welcomes you to Epe. The Epe Fish Market is regarded as Lagos's largest seafood market. Epe town is well-known for its tranquilly. Aside from the adventure, sightseeing, and serenity, you also have access to low-cost animal protein. Epe, like any other society, has special occasions and festivals where people come together to celebrate. Epe residents celebrate various festivals such as the Kayo-kayo festival, the Ebi bi festival, Ojude-Oba, and the Epe day. Some campuses of popular higher education institutions in Lagos can be found within Epe. Lagos State University (LASU), Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Yaba College of Technology, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education are among them (MOCOPED). Epe is also the birthplace of notable individuals such as former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola.

Ojo

Ojo is a town mainly occupied by the Aworis with a population of 507,693.

Lagos State University Lagos State University, also known as LASU, is located in Ojo, with sub-campuses at Ikeja and Epe both towns in Lagos State, Nigeria. The university was established in 1983 by the enabling law of Lagos State, for the advancement of learning ...

is in this town.

Economy

Lagos State is a major economic centre of Nigeria. It would be the fifth largest

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

in Africa if it were a country. Lagos State houses headquarters of most conglomerates and commercial banks in Nigeria. Its total generated

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...

in 2017 was around

₦ The naira ( sign: ₦; code: NGN) is the currency of Nigeria. One naira is divided into 100 ''kobo''. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the sole issuer of legal tender money throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It controls the vol ...

334 billion (equivalent to

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

920 million), growing by 10.43% compared to 2016. By the first half of 2021, the State's internally generated revenue (IGR) alone stood at over

267 billion.

Imota rice mill The Imota rice mill is an agricultural plant in Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria. It was built in 2021 and will commence full production in the forth quarter of 2022. Description The rice mill in Imota is 22 hectares big, with the mill itse ...

The Imota rice mill is an agricultural plant in

, a suburb of

. It was built in 2021 and will commence full production in the second quarter of 2022. The rice mill has a capacity to produce 2.8 million bags of 50 kg bags of

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

yearly, while generating 1,500 direct jobs and 254,000 indirect jobs. On completion, in line with the estimated installed infrastructure of the facility, the production capacity of the rice mill in Imota will set it among the largest in the world, and the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Lagos State governor Sanwo-Olu, full production of the facility will drastically reduce prices of rice and pressure to purchase the commodity. At this moment (early 2022) Nigeria ''produces'' husk rice, yet ''imports'' hulled/polished rice at a higher price. Processing the national staple food rice in its own country therefore should improve Nigeria's trade balance.

Lekki Free Trade Zone

Lekki Free Trade Zone (Lekki FTZ) is a free zone situated at the eastern part of Lekki, which covers a total area of about 155 square kilometres. The first phase of the zone has an area of 30 square kilometres, with about 27 square kilometres for urban construction purposes, which would accommodate a total resident population of 120,000. According to the Master Plan, the free zone will be developed into a new modern city within a city with integration of industries, commerce and business, real estate development, warehousing and logistics, tourism, and entertainment.

Infrastructure

Fourth Mainland Bridge

The Fourth Mainland Bridge is a 38 km long

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

project by the

Lagos State Government Lagos State Government is the government of Lagos State, concerned with the administration of the state ministries. The government consists of the executive, legislative and Judiciary. The government is headed by the Governor who is the policy-maker ...

, connecting

Lagos Island Lagos Island (''Ìsàlẹ̀ Èkó'') is the principal and central local government area (LGA) in Lagos, it was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a p ...

by way of Langbasa(

) and Baiyeku(Ikorodu) across the

to Itamaga, in

. The bridge is a 2 x 4 lane carriageway cross-sectional road with permission for BRT Lane and future road contraction. It is expected to become the second longest Bridge in Africa, featuring 3 toll plazas, 9 interchanges, 4.5 km Lagoon Bridge and an eco-friendly environment amongst other added features. Exit 4th mainland bridge

In April 2021 there were 6 bidders for the US$2.5 billion project. By December the preferred bidder would be known. In January 2022 the Lagos State Governor,

Babajide Sanwo-Olu Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (born 25 June 1968) is a Nigerian politician and the current Governor of Lagos State. He became governor under the platform of the All Progressives Congress after contesting and unexpectedly winning the gubernatorial p ...

, reiterated the plan by the state government to commence the construction on the Opebi-Mende link bridge and the 38-kilometre 4th mainland bridge: ''"Construction work on the 38km 4th Mainland Bridge — which will be the longest in Africa — and the Opebi-Mende link bridge will commence this year."''

Government

Since its creation in 1967, the state has been administered either by a

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and a

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...

in civilian or quasi-civilian (under

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Ch ...

's administration) federal administrations, or by Sole-Administrators or Military Administrators in military dispensations. Since December 2007,

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

has been the second official language of debate and discussion for the

after English. The House of Assembly is headed by the Speaker, an elected position which is currently held by Mudashiru Obasa, who has also won his party's ticket to run for a 6th term in the upcoming 2023 elections.

Governor of the State

The current governor of Lagos State is Mr.

, who emerged victorious in the March 9, 2019 Governorship elections. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was sworn in on May 29, 2019, making him the 6th democratic governor of Lagos State and the 15th governor of Lagos State overall. On 18 May 2022, Lagos state government announced total ban on Okada in 6 local government areas of the state.

Administrative divisions

Local Government Areas

Lagos State is divided into five

administrative divisions Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

, which are further divided into 20

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phrase i ...

, or LGAs. They are: The first 16 of the above LGAs comprise the statistical area of Metropolitan

. The remaining four LGAs (Badagry, Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe) are within Lagos State but are not part of Metropolitan Lagos.

Local council development areas

In 2003, many of the existing 20 LGAs were split for administrative purposes into Local Council Development Areas. These lower-tier administrative units now number 56: Agbado/Oke-Odo, Agboyi/Ketu, Agege, Ajeromi, Alimosho, Apapa, Apapa-Iganmu, Ayobo/Ipaja, Badagry West, Badagry, Bariga, Coker Aguda, Egbe Idimu, Ejigbo, Epe, Eredo, Eti-Osa East, Eti Osa West, Iba, Isolo, Imota, Ikoyi, Ibeju, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ifelodun, Igando/Ikotun, Igbogbo/Bayeku,

Ijede Ijede is a local council development area in Lagos State, Nigeria. The present chairman of her council is Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba. Ijede Local Council Development Area is one of the 37 LCDAs created from the original 20 Local Governments in ...

, Ikeja, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West, Ikosi Ejinrin, Ikorodu, Ikorodu West, Iru/Victoria Island, Itire Ikate, Kosofe, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East, Lagos Mainland, Lekki, Mosan/Okunola, Mushin, Odi Olowo/Ojuwoye, Ojo, Ojodu, Ojokoro, Olorunda, Onigbongbo, Oriade, Orile Agege, Oshodi, Oto-Awori, Shomolu, Surulere and Yaba.

Postal districts

This is a list of postal districts in Lagos State organised by local government area (LGA) and postal district, with

postal codes A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...

also given.

Electoral wards

Below is a list of polling units, including villages and schools, organised by electoral ward.

Tertiary educational institutions in Lagos State

* Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education *

Anchor University The Anchor University is a private Christian university owned by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry. The university is located at Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria. History The process of founding Anchor University billed for Sep ...

Augustine University Ilara Augustine University, Ilara also known as AUI is a private Catholic-owned University located in Ilara, a town in Epe local government area of Lagos State Southwestern Nigeria. The University which was approved on 25 February 2015 by the ...

, Epe *

Caleb University Caleb Payne University is a private university located in Imota Lagos Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a count ...

Federal College of Education, Akoka The Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka (formerly National Technical Teachers College) is a Nigerian technical tertiary institution located in Akoka, a suburb of Yaba in Lagos. Founded in 1967 by the Federal Government of Niger ...

Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology The Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology is a higher education institute located on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria. It is a monotechnic approved by the National Board for Technical Education. The College was originally known as ...

* Lagos Business School * Lagos City Polytechnic *

Lagos State College of Health Technology 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. History Lagos State College of Health Technology, formerly known as School of Hygie ...

Lagos State University of Science and Technology Lagos State University of Science and Technology is a government-owned tertiary institution located in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. The institution was formerly known as Lagos State College of Science and Technology (LACOSTECH) and later ...

Lagos State University College of Medicine The College of Medicine of the Lagos State University popularly known as LASUCOM is one of the top College of Medicine in Nigeria. The college is located within the structure of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. It was established in ...

* Michael Otedola College of Primary Education *

National Open University of Nigeria The National Open University of Nigeria is a federal open and distance learning (ODL) institution, the first of its kind in the West African sub-region. It is Nigeria's largest tertiary institution in terms of student number and is popularly ...

, Lagos study centres *

Nigerian Institute of Journalism The Nigerian Institute of Journalism is a Nigerian monotechnic located at 8-14, Ijaiye road, Ogba in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria. The institute is a diploma awarding monotechnic established in 1963 by the International ...

, Ogba * Pan Atlantic University *

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

Yaba College of Technology 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. It has a student enrollment of over 16,000. Overview Yaba College of Technology ...

* Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education upgraded in 2022 now Lagos State University of Education

Tourist attraction and monuments

Lagos state has over 700 km Atlantic sandy beaches with about 20 between the West of Badagry and East of Lekki. They include: * Atlas Cove, Apapa * Bar Beach, Victoria Island *

Elegushi Beach Elegushi Beach is a private beach located at Lekki, Lagos state, southwest Nigeria. The beach is owned by the Elegushi royal family in Lekki, Lagos state. Elegushi private beach is seen as one of the best beaches in Lagos and Nigeria at large. Th ...

* Tarkwa Bay Beach *

Topo Island Topo Island is an island located in the Topo town area of Badagry Local Government of Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in ...

, Badagry. * King Ado statue, Lagos Island *

Tafawa Balewa Square The Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) is a ceremonial ground (originally called "Race Course") in Lagos Island, Lagos. History Lagos Race Course now TBS, was a sports field that hosted horse racing, but included a section for football and ground t ...

People

While the state is essentially a Yoruba-speaking environment, it is a socio-cultural melting pot, attracting both

Nigerians Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

and foreigners alike. Indigenous inhabitants include the

and Ogu Egun in the Ikeja and

Divisions respectively, with the Egun being found mainly in Badagry. There is also an admixture of other pioneer settlers collectively known as the Eko. The indigenous people of the

and Epe Divisions are mainly the Ijebu, with pockets of Eko-Awori settlers along the coastland and riverine areas. The dominant religions in Lagos State are Islam and Christianity although a certain amount of traditional religion is still practiced.

Mineral resources in Lagos State

The following mineral resources are found in Lagos State: * Clay * Bitumen * Glass Sand

Environmental Issues

* Water pollution * Air pollution * Waste * Traffic congestion * Noise pollution

Notable people

* Femi Ojo Ade, writer *

Kemi Adetiba Kemi Adetiba (born 8 January 1980) is a Nigerian filmmaker, television director and music video director, whose works have appeared on Channel O, MTV Base, Sound City TV, BET and Netflix. Education Kemi holds bachelor's degree in law fro ...

, film maker *

Jimi Agbaje Olujimi Kolawole Agbaje (popularly known as Jimi Agbaje or JK; born 2 March 1957), is a Nigerian Pharmacist, and Politician. He was the 2015 PDP's Lagos State Governorship candidate, but he lost out to the eventual winner Akinwunmi Ambode. He ...

, politician * Henry Ajomale, politician * Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos *

Akinwunmi Ambode Akinwunmi Ambode (born 14 June 1963) is a Nigerian politician who served as Governor of Lagos State from 2015 to 2019. He was a civil servant for 27 years and a financial consultant before running for public office. Ambode ran for office of t ...

, accountant and politician *

Ayodele Awojobi Ayodele Oluwatumininu Awojobi (12 March 1937 – 23 September 1984), also known by the nicknames "Dead Easy", "The Akoka Giant", and "Macbeth", was a Nigerian academic, author, inventor, social crusader and activist. He was considered a scholar ...

, academic * Segun Awosanya, advocate * Muiz Banire, lawyer *

Basketmouth Bright Okpocha (born 14 September 1978 in Lagos State), better known by his stage name Basketmouth, is a Nigerian comedian and actor. He has organized popular stand-up comedy concerts like ''Basketmouth Uncensored'' across the globe. Basketmouth ...

, comedian *

Henry Rawlingson Carr Henry Carr (15 August 1863 – 1945) was a Nigerian educator and administrator. He was one of the most prominent West Africans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and was a member of the legislative council in Lagos from 1918& ...

, educator * G.B.A. Coker, former Judge of Supreme Court Of Nigeria * Davido, musician *

Tony Elumelu Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu (born 22 March 1963) is a Nigerian economist, and philanthropist. He chairs Heirs Holdings, Transcorp and is the founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. In 2020, Elumelu was named on ''Time''s list of the 100 mo ...

, businessman *

Falz Folarin Falana (born 27 October 1990), better known by his stage name Falz, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter and actor who began his career while in secondary school after forming a group called The School Boys with his friend before his profe ...

, singer *

Babatunde Fashola Babatunde Raji Fashola ( yo, Bàbátúndé Rájí Fáṣọlá; born 28 June 1963) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician currently serving as the Federal Minister of Works and Housing of Nigeria. He served two terms as Governor of Lagos State f ...

, politician *

Femi Gbajabiamila Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila (born 25 June 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbajabiamila has served as Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2019. Early life and education Ol ...

, politician *

Bode George Olabode Ibiyinka George ("Bode George") (born 21 November 1945) is a Nigerian politician who became Military Governor of Ondo State, and later Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, then national vice-chairman in the southwest zone of the Pe ...

, politician *

Adekunle Gold Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko (born 28 January 1987), known professionally as Adekunle Gold and AG Baby, is a Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter. He gained widespread attention after releasing the 2015 hit single "Sade", a highlife cover of On ...

, singer *

Amy Jadesimi Amy Jadesimi (born 1976) is a Nigerian businesswoman and the chief executive officer of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), a privately owned logistics and engineering facility in the Port of Lagos, Nigeria. Background and educat ...

, businesswoman *

Oladipo Jadesimi Chief Oladipo "Ladi" Jadesimi is a Nigerian oil businessman and founder of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base, where he serves as the executive chairman. Education and career Oladipo Jadesimi completed his secondary school education at K ...

, businessman *

Lateef Jakande Lateef Kayode Jakande (23 July 1929 – 11 February 2021) was a Nigerian journalist and politician who served as governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983, and later Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime. Background Lateef ...

, politician *

Mobolaji Johnson Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson (9 February 1936 – 30 October 2019) was a Nigerian Army Brigadier who served as Military Administrator of the Federal territory of Lagos from January 1966 to May 1967 during the military regime of General Aguyi-Ironsi ...

, military governor *

T. B. Joshua Temitope Balogun Joshua (12 June 1963 – 5 June 2021), popularly known as T. B. Joshua, was a Nigerian charismatic pastor, televangelist, and philanthropist. He was the leader and founder of Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Chris ...

, Christian minister * Fela Kuti, musician *

Mr Macaroni Adebowale "Debo" Adedayo (born 3 May 1993), known by his stage name Mr Macaroni, is a Nigerian actor, content creator and citizen activist. A trained thespian, his popularity grew from his comic skits on social media, where he plays the role o ...

, comedian *

Herbert Macaulay Olayinka Herbert Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay (14 November 1864 – 7 May 1946) was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, surveyor, engineer, architect, journalist, and musician and is considered by many Nigerians as the founder of Niger ...

, nationalist *

Musiliu Obanikoro Musiliu Babatunde Obanikoro (popularly known as Koro) is a Nigerian politician. He served as Senator for Lagos State from 2003–2007, and was later appointed High Commissioner to Ghana. He served as the Minister of State for Defence during 20 ...

, politician * Hakeem Olajuwon, basketball player *

Babatunde Olatunji Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Early life Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nige ...

, musician *

Bruce Onobrakpeya Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya (born 30 August 1932) is a Nigerian printmaker, painter and sculptor. He has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Malm� ...

, artist * Oba Otudeko, businessman *

Jim Ovia Jim James Ovia (born 4 November 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, he is the founder of Zenith Bank which he founded in 1990. Early life Jim Ovia holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, Loui ...

, businessman * Rahman Owokoniran, politician *

, state Governor *

Toyin Saraki Toyin Ojora-Saraki LLB, LLM, BL, (born 6 September 1964) is a global health advocate, healthcare philanthropist and the Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa. Early life and education Toyin Saraki was born into the Ojora and Adele roy ...

, healthcare philanthropist *

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

, writer *

Bola Tinubu Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952) is a Nigerian accountant and politician who served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic. In June 2022, he was chosen as th ...

, politician *

Efunroye Tinubu Efunroye Tinubu ( 1810 – 1887), born Ẹfúnpọ̀róyè Ọ̀ṣuntinúbú, was a powerful Yoruba female aristocrat, merchant, and slave trader in pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria. She was a politically and economically influential figure in ...

, aristocrat *

Oluremi Tinubu Oluremi Tinubu (born 21 September 1960) is a Nigerian politician who served as the first lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and is currently a senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District at the Nigerian National Assembly. She is a ...

, politician *

Banky W. Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was born in the ...

, entertainer and politician * Funsho Williams, politician *

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...

, musician

Transportation

Transportation by air:

in Ikeja is one of Nigeria's five major international airports. It was built in 1978 and named after the former military head of state Late General Murtala Mohammed. Lagos has also has the Lekki-Epe International Airport which is a proposed airport in Lekki, Nigeria, designed for a capacity of 5 million passengers annually. Transportation by land: People can commute using by bus using the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit System, also known as Lagos BRT which is regulated by LAMATA. Transportation by Rail: The Lagos State Rail Mass Transit is an

urban rail Urban rail transit is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas. The set of urban rail systems can be roughly subdivided into the following categories ...

system which is under construction and should start operation by December 2022.

References

External links

Lagos State Government official site

Lagos Interactive Maps & Sat Navs to travel around

Lagos digital street maps

Lagos State community website

History and Cities in Lagos

List of current local government area chairmen
{{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States in Yorubaland States and territories established in 1967 Coasts of Nigeria 1967 establishments in Nigeria

History

Early history

Post-colonial era

Cities and towns

Lagos

Ikeja

Lekki

Ikorodu

Eko Atlantic

Badagry

Epe

Ojo

Economy

Imota rice mill The Imota rice mill is an agricultural plant in Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria. It was built in 2021 and will commence full production in the forth quarter of 2022. Description The rice mill in Imota is 22 hectares big, with the mill itse ...

Lekki Free Trade Zone

Infrastructure

Fourth Mainland Bridge

Government

Governor of the State

Administrative divisions

Local Government Areas

Local council development areas

Postal districts

Electoral wards

Tertiary educational institutions in Lagos State

Tourist attraction and monuments

People

Mineral resources in Lagos State

Environmental Issues

Notable people

Transportation

See also

References

Further reading

External links