2014 Tinubu Square Lagos Nigeria 14640600637

Stutues of orishas in Tinubu square, Lagos

Tinubu Square (formerly Independence Square), is an open space landmark located in Broad Street,

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 ...

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 area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin ...

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 ...

named after the

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 ...

slave trader, merchant, and aristocrat Madam Efunroye Tinubu. It was formerly called ''Ita Tinubu'' before it was named ''Independence Square'' by leaders of the

First Nigerian Republic The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution. The country's government was based on a federal form of the Westminster system. The period between 1 October 196 ...

after Nigerian independence and subsequently ''Tinubu Square''.

History

According to a historian, it was the location of the first court of justice which was replaced in 1918 by the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

or the

Court of Assizes A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordanc ...

, which was a magnificent structure. The Square was the melting point of different cultures, a place where the indigenous

Lagosians Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. 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 Beni ...

, those of Brazilian extract and the colonial administration met.

Structure

An old Brazilian building at Tinubu square, Lagos

The square is iron-fenced with two flowing

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

s, flowers and tropical trees in it. It also contains a life-size statue of Madam Tinubu on a

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

. The size of the square is The 2,000 square meter. The square was last remodeled in 2017 by the Lagos state government.

References

Lagos Island Landmarks in Lagos Squares in Lagos Outdoor sculptures in Lagos Monuments and memorials in Lagos Monuments and memorials to women {{Lagos-stub