Surulere is a residential and commercial
Local Government Area
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 (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
located on the mainland of
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
in
Lagos State
Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...
, Nigeria, with an area of . At the last census in the year 2006, 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.
History
During the rapid urbanization of Lagos, the city expanded to the west of its
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...
, which included present-day Surulere.
Families from different regions of the country have historically settled in Surulere. In addition to the local settlers of Lagos, during the nineteenth century, various emancipated African Brazilians and Cubans, who were referred to as ''Aguda'' or
''Saros'', settled in Surulere. Nigerians from the Northern region initially ended at Idi-Araba, while many people from the eastern part were in various quarters but predominantly at Obele, Ikate, and Aguda areas. Residents of Lagos Island who bought or leased land from the government and Aworis settled in New Lagos. In contrast, others lived in the neighborhoods of Itire, Lawanson, Ojuelegba, Animashaun, and Shitta.
The New Lagos neighborhood, also known as the Surulere Re-Housing Estate, is among the first public housing projects in Nigeria. Itire, one of the quarters in Surulere has a recognized traditional authority in the Onitire of Itire.
Industry
![Amikanle Market](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Amikanle_Market.jpg)
Emergence
Festac '77
Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in World Festival of Black Arts#History, Dakar, 1966), was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 F ...
, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture was a cultural
jamboree held in Surulere Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977.
It is home to the
Lagos National Stadium (capacity 60,000) built in 1972 for the
All-Africa Games
The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (AN ...
. The stadium has been allowed to become increasingly dilapidated since 2002.
However, in preparation for the 2009
Under 17 FIFA World Cup the facilities were improved, and the event kicked off successfully in October 2009.
Surulere also houses the
Teslim Balogun Stadium
The Teslim Balogun Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. It is used mostly for football matches and serves as a home ground of First Bank FC. The Nigeria national rugby league team also use the venue. The stadium has a ...
, a multi use Stadium used mainly for football matches with an over twenty four thousand sitting capacity.
The main commercial streets in Surulere are Western Avenue, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Adelabu, Ogunalana drive and Aguda, various open markets are dispersed in different neighborhoods. Industrial establishments are predominantly located at Iponri, Coker and Iganmu.
One of the most popular places in Surulere is
Ojuelegba. It is known for its crowded setting and regarded as one of the busiest places in Lagos.It is one of the key transport nodes of Lagos, connecting the city's mainlands with Lagos Island and Victoria Island. It's also the place, popular Nigerian musician,
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 ...
sang about in his one of his most widely acclaimed single "Ojuelegba".
Media
Film production studios started in Surulere during the late 1980s well into the 1990s.
It was home to the monthly magazines ''Newbreed'' and ''President'', founded by Chief
Chris Okolie Chris Maduabrochukwu Okolie (born 1949, died 2007) was a Nigerian concert promoter and publisher and who founded New Breed Organization, publishers of the now defunct ''New Breed'' magazine.
Life
Okolie started out as a music promoter in the late 1 ...
, until publication ceased in the early 1990s. The
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria – often abbreviated as MBGN – is a pageant organised by Silverbird Group with the main purpose of sending representatives to international competitions. Originally known as Miss Universe Nigeria, it was rena ...
(MBGN) beauty pageant and competition took place at the
National Arts Theatre
The National Theatre, Nigeria is the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. The monument is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in ...
in 1988. In 2018, international sports brand
Nike Inc
Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...
collaborated with
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 ...
to release a limited edition sports jersey, bringing notoriety on the cultural presence of Surulere and the city of Lagos to the global scene.
The Beyoncé video "Key to the Kingdom" from ''Black is King'' features the Surulere National Arts Theater prominently in its opening shots.
Landmarks and places
Notable people
![Wizkid at Iyanya's album launch concert, 2013 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Wizkid_at_Iyanya%27s_album_launch_concert%2C_2013_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are otherwise closely associated with or around the city of Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria.
See also
*
Ojuelegba
*
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 ...
*
Yaba
References
External links
''Surulere Now!''
{{Coord, 6, 30, N, 3, 21, E, region:NG-LA_type:city(462261), display=title
Local Government Areas in Lagos State