Ikeja, Lagos State
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Ikeja is the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of
Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...
in southwestern
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. Its population, as of the 2006
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commercial town with shopping malls, pharmacies and government reservation areas. It lies 17 km northwest of Lagos city. The
Murtala Muhammed International Airport 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 Murt ...
is located in the city. Ikeja is also home to
Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's r ...
's Africa Shrine and Lagbaja's Motherland, both venues for live music. Its
Ikeja City Mall The Ikeja City Mall is located at Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos State. It is the first of its kind on the Mainland of Metropolitan Lagos. There is a Silverbird Cinema in the mall as well as Shoprite, eateries, clothing brands and clothing stores and d ...
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).


History

Ikeja, which was formally called "Akeja", was named after a deity of the Awori people of Ota. It was originally settled by the Awori people, and the area was raided for slaves until the mid-19th century. 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. In the mid-1960s an industrial estate was established, and in 1976 Ikeja became the capital of Lagos state. 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 first king of Ikeja was His Royal Majesty Oba Momodu Illo, whom was a descendant of Akeja Oniyanrun and ruled Ikeja from 1957 till 1997.


Government and Infrastructure

The local government administrative headquarters of Ikeja is located within the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat premises. As of June 2019, the Chairman of Ikeja's local government is Engr. Mojeed Balogun. The
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria 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 ...
has its headquarters in Ikeja on the grounds of Murtala Muhammad Airport. The Accident Investigation Bureau of the Nigerian government has its headquarter in Ikeja. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has its head office in Aviation House on the grounds of the airport; this was formerly just the Lagos office.


Economy


Airlines

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. Aero Contractors has its head office on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed Airport. Other airlines with Ikeja head offices include
Overland Airways 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. History The airline commenced operations in 20 ...
,
Air Peace Air Peace Limited is a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013 with its head office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and the largest airline of Nigeria and West Africa. Air Peace, which provides passenger and charter services, serves the major ...
,
Associated Aviation 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 ...
, and Dana Air. In addition,
Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic A ...
has its Nigerian office in "The Place" in Ikeja. At one point, Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House. Before it was dissolved, Afrijet Airlines had its head office in the NAHCO Building on the grounds of the airport. Bellview Airlines had its headquarters in the Bellview Plaza. 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,
Sosoliso Airlines 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. History It was est ...
, and ADC Airlines.


Television studios

Ikeja is home to Nigeria's most important television studios, such as
Channels TV Channels Television is a Nigerian independent 24-hour news and media television channel based in Lagos, Nigeria. The parent company, Channels Incorporated, was founded in 1992, a year before the Nigerian government deregulated the broadcast med ...
and African Independent TV, as well as associated advertising agencies.


Computer Village

Ikeja is home to a large computer
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
, popularly known as Otigba. Begun in 1997 as a small market of only 10 shops, the current market now has well over 10,000. 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 Office supplies are consumables and equipment regularly used in offices by businesses and other organizations, required to sustain office operations. For example, office supplies may be used by individuals engaged in written communications, rec ...
and electronic devices. 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. 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.


Brewery

The Guinness brewery produces its famous beer in Ikeja. The brewery also produces non-alcoholic and halal malt beer, which is part of the "Lagos' way of life".


Pharmaceutical industry

60% of West Africa's pharmaceutical production takes place in Nigeria. 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.


Diverse

A slum in Ikeja was selected by C. J. Obasi as a
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
location for the 2014
Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...
thriller, Ojuju. 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.


Tourism


Museums

The ''Kalakuta Museum'' commemorates the late musician
Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...
, who probably had a formative role in Nigeria's music world comparable to that of
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
in
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. 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.


Parks and squares

*The Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park (JJT) is a public park located in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos. The park which was commissioned by the then Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode in December 2017 as a recreational Center. *The Kanu Ndubuisi Park is a public park and recreational center located in Ikeja, Lagos. It is a green space created and managed by the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency. The park has a lawn tennis court, a basketball court, a play area for children, seats and benches, patios and sheds and snacks stands. Located at Mobolaji Johnson Ave, Oregun, Ikeja 101233, Lagos *Dr Oluyomi Abayomi Finnih Recreational Park located at 3 Opebi Link Rd, Allen, Ikeja 101233, Lagos. *Abiola Garden Ojota


Music pub

Contrary to what the name suggests, the ''New Afrika Shrine'' in Ikeja is not a shrine, but a music bar run by the descendants of
Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...
. 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. 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. 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. 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.


Climate

It has a
tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
. 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.


Temperature

With an average daily high temperature above 90°F, the hot season lasts for 4.4 months, from 12 December to 25 April. 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 23 June to 30 September. In Ikeja, August is the coldest month of the year, with an average low of 74°F and high of 82°F.


Cloudy

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 8 November and lasts for 3.2 months, finishing around 13 February. 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 13 February the year's cloudier period starts, lasting for 8.8 months, and ends around 8 November. In Ikeja, April is the month with the most clouds, with the sky being overcast or mostly cloudy 87% of the time.


Pollution

''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.


Communities

Districts in the city include: * Anifowose; * Oregun; * Ojodu; * Opebi; * Akiode; * Alausa; * Agidingbi; * Ogba; * Magodo; * Maryland; * Onigbongbo; * Government Reserved Area (GRA) Ikeja.


Tourist centres

* Isheri/River Ogun – Cradle of Awori and Lagos indigenous population * Lagos State Government Secretariat Ikeja House, Alausa, Ikeja * Lagos State House of Assembly Complex arliament Building Alausa, Ikeja * Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau, PSSDC Road, Magodo, Kosofe * Lagos Television and Radio Lagos/Eko F.M, Agidingbi, Ikeja * LASU Ethnography Museum, Oba Ogunji Road, Ogba, Agege * Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja ub of aviation in West Africa* Statue of Lagos Idejo Chiefs – megacity’s traditional land gentry * Third Mainland Bridge/Outer Ring Road Complex.


Gallery

File:Independence Tunnel, Maryland, Lagos.jpg, Independence tunnel, Maryland File:Independence Tunnel, Maryland.jpg, Independence Tunnel, Maryland File:Maryland Express, Maryland Lagos.jpg, Maryland Express File:Maryland Lane.jpg, Maryland Lane File:Maryland mall Maryland lagos.jpg, Maryland mall File:Maryland Tunnel view 2.jpg, Maryland tunnel view File:Maryland Unity Status, Maryland Lagos.jpg, Maryland Unity Statues File:SIMBIAT ABIOLA WAY, 3 IKEJA.jpg, Simbiat Abiola way, Ikeja File:Ogun river.jpg, Ogun river File:Kanu Ndubuisi Park 07.jpg, Kanu Ndubuisi Park File:Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park 01.jpg, Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park File:Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park 24.jpg, Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park


See also

*
Railway stations in Nigeria Railway stations in Nigeria include: Maps UN MapUNHCR Atlas Map Cities served by rail The East (E) and West (W) lines are connected by the Link Line. West Line * Apapa (W) - Lagos. Port ; flour mill ; oil terminals * Lagos (W) (0&nbs ...
* Eko Hospital *
Surulere Surulere is a local government area located on the mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria. It has an area of . At the 2006 census, there were 503,975 inhabitants, with a population density of 21,864 inhabitants per square kilometer. The local governm ...


References

* {{Authority control State capitals in Nigeria Local Government Areas in Lagos State Local Government Areas in Yorubaland