By Adewale Adeoye
I think this is a wrong and dangerous narrative to say Lagos was developed by people different from the indigenous population that own this fruitful ancestral territory.
People say Lagos is the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. That is just a fragment of Lagos history.
We should know that Lagos was not the first and won’t be the last of chosen Federal Capitals of Nigeria. If we do not stand up for the Lagos indigenous people today, we SHALL REGRET IT.
The first Capitals of Nigeria were Calabar and Lokoja, a Yoruba town which means ILU-KO-JO-, settlement of communities. Do not forget the military came and started imposing Fulani and Hausa community leaders which began to change the history and demography of Lokoja.
Lagos has its own history
The city state has its own history, its geography and its natural resources. The main Means of Production in Lagos is he Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, divided into Okun and Osa the indigenous people, and the the vast 180k coastline. They were not created by any Federal Government, but created by God for the indigenous people of this land.
These resources have been the main source of commerce (fishing, timber, sea transportation, import and export) and even military expedition, (Yoruba warriors, including Ogedengbe and Latoosa from 17th century, imported arms from Hambough, Germany, through this port) for several centuries before the advent of Nigeria in 1914. Lokoja was Capital through the 1914 amalgamation. So for close to 500 years, Lagos had been nurtured by the flavour of trade.
Lokoja became Nigerian capital in 1900 at a time Lagos was already thriving in business and commerce. Calabar was administrative capital of the Oil Rivers Protectorate and the Niger Coast Protectorate since 1884.
How did Lagos become capital of Nigeria?
Lagos became Capital of the Southern Protectorate, not of Nigeria in 1906 but later became the Capital after the 1914 amalgamation. The Richardson constitution created Regionalism and effectively, each of the three regions began to have its own capital leaving Lagos as a small administrative unit until 1966 when Aguiyi Ironse ended Regionalism. The development framework of Western Nigeria, covered the current Lagos State.
Historically, non-Yoruba have fought to severe away Lagos from its roots. In fact during the debate on the status of Lagos in the 1950s, the Easterners wanted Lagos to be independent, describing Lagos as ‘No Man’s Land,’ but Egbe Omo Oduduwa and the people of Lagos resisted the proposal.
The Egbe won and the Macpherson Constitution that came into effect in 1951 merged Lagos and the Colony Area with the West. Then pressure mounted. When the constitution was reviewed, pressure from the East and North, including media war of West African Pilot, led the colonialists to separate Lagos City, not Lagos State from Western Nigeria and declared it Federal Territory.
The administration of Lagos began with the people of Lagos. Under the Macpherson Constitution, Oba Adele of Lagos was elected into the Western House of Chiefs, nevertheless. Oba Adele also became the first President of the Lagos Local Govt Law in 1953, presiding over the set up of modern Lagos administration including the city’s economic and industrial growth.
The same debate on the status of Lagos resurfaced on the issue of North-West border when Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara wrote a letter to Egbe Omo Yoruba calling for help, saying the colonialists placed them in the North to make them ‘depressed, detribalised and degenerated”. They called on Egbe Omo Ododuwa to come and ‘cure the open sore of Oduduwaland.’ In the letter they wrote that Yoruba Unity must be total and that ‘a swarm of bees does no unite neglecting the drones.’
So from 1966 to 1976, Lagos was only the capital of the new Nigerian garrison state– A period of only 10 years apart from the colonial era. Capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1976.
Which Lagos are we talking about?
Lagos has some 84 traditional rulers and Baales leading some 100 communities. Out of these 100 communities, only about five percent were in the territories we call the Federal Capital, being the Capital, the tiny Isale Eko and a few others.
Ketu, Ojota, Yaba, Ajegunle, Ikeja, Badagry, Somolu, Mushin, Apapa were never parts of the Lagos Federal Capital. The economic blueprint of Ikeja and Apapa and the majority parts of Lagos State were fashioned by the Action Group,(AG) and later the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN) not by the FG.
These areas today form the bedrock of Lagos industrial hub. They were essentially developed by Yoruba people. The Ikeja GRA and the Industrial layout were designed by an Ekiti person, Oshuntokun. Several of the iconic buildings in Lagos of today were designed by Architect Alade from Efon Alaaye. The first tallest building in downturn Lagos, Western House and many others were built by the Government of Western Nigeria.
The truth of the matter is that Lagos was essentially developed by its indigenous people and the first Yoruba settlers including those Yoruba who came from Brazil and the Caribbean. The first millionaire in Nigeria Da Rochas, came from Lagos, originally from Ilesa, people like Urban Karim Elisio, Ver Cruiz. Before this time, traders like Madam Efunsetan Aniwura had used the Lagos Port for her trans Atlantic trade, coming all the way from Ibadan.
The secondary schools, religious institutions and the founding financial pillars were laid by Yoruba people. The first political organisations, even the first anti colonial protests, held in 1904, against Water rates, first newspapers, music, culture were all driven by Yoruba.
On June 24, 1923, Herbert Macaulay founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party, (NNDP). Macaulay became the Secretary, Joseph Egerton Shyngle, a lawyer became the President and Eric Moore, a Yoruba became leader.
The Gold Coast Independent of April 19, 1921 described Macaulay thus “an admirable Crichon of Yoruba politics, a veritable Parnell in Yoruba affairs, the Napoleon of Nigerian politics and a veritable Cicero in debate.’ The Party contested the Legislative Council and won in 1923, 1928, 1933 and 1943. Macauley was the grandson of Samuel Ajayi Crowther.
The West African Students Union was established in 1925 by a Yoruba, Ladipo Solanke. Those who founded the Nigerian Youth Movement in Lagos were Yoruba. The NYM meeting held on March 17, 1934 was attended by Dr Ogunsola Sapara, Hon. T.A Doherty. Dr Macauley. Dr K. Abayomi, Dr J.K Vaughan, Messers Alakija, E.A Faderin, Tiyamiyu Savage, Agbebi, Jubril Martins, Edwin Cole, Ojo Cole, Ernest Ikoli, Akinsanya, V.A Kayode, Onibuwe, Rev J.O Lucas, Mrs Lucas and Dr A. Maja. Only Ernest Ikoli, an Ijaw was non-Yoruba. This group pioneered the struggle for independence and laid the foundation for the political, cultural and economic renaissance of Lagos and Nigeria. The NCNC that came later in 1944 was also established by Herbert Macaulay.
The first Stock Exchange in Nigeria, Lagos Stock Exchange was established on September 15, 1960. Out of the first Seven subscribers five were either Yoruba or had Yoruba interests: Chief Theophilus Adebayo Doherty, RSV Scott representing CT Bowring and Co in NIgeria, John Holt, Chief Akintola Williams, Alhaji Shehu Bukar and Investment Company of Nigerian Ltd. Only one, Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu was Igbo.
The first banks were owned by Yoruba: Industrial and Commercial Bank (1929) owned by C da Richa, Ade Oshodi, D A Taylor, Williams and some two Ghanians; National Bank of Nigeria, (1933) and Agbonmagbe Bank (1945), established on May 2, 1954 by Chief Mathew Adekoya Okupe, the later became Wema Bank. These banks provided the backbone for many industries that came later.
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As far back as 1952, the Action Group developed a Masterplan and economic blueprint for Lagos. Interestingly, the first leaders of Egbe Omo Yoruba were of Lagos descent. The first President of Egbe Omo Oduduwa was Sir Adeyemo Alakija and the Secretary was Delano. Vice President was Yekini Ojikutu while I. O Ransome Kuti was second Vice President. H.O Davies represented Ekiti Bode Thomas, Oyo. The treasurer, Dr Abayomi was also from Lagos.
Lagos and tales of Tribalism
Those who argue that ‘Yoruba started tribalism’ should not forget that the Ibibio State Union was established in 1928; Urhobo Progressive Union 1931; Igbo Union 1936; Tiv Progressive Union, 1938 and the last to come in response to the existing ones was Egbe Omo Oduduwa in 1945. When the Egbe was launched, Dr Nanamdi Azikiwe and Dr Micheal Opara were so angry that they launched a counter Yoruba group called Yoruba Federal Union.
The Union first held its meeting on June 5, 1948. It was the day Egbe Omo Oduduwa was to be inagurated at Ile Ife. On June 12, 1948, Yoruba Federal Union set up to rival Egbe Omo Oduduwa met at Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos.
The agent of destabilisation recruited was Reverend J.O Lucas. Zik and Opara were at the meeting to address the gathering so also was Mbonu Ojike who was then the General Manager of Ibo Federal Union and at the same time, the Vice President of NCNC. Interestingly, the NCNC earlier, had set in motion a public demonstration against Egbe Omo Oduduwa on January 17, 1948 at the instance of Zik. God took over. The Yoruba Federal Union died naturally.
Lagos Uprising
The upsurge in Lagos was due to the foundation of the city’s political and industrial leaders, fired later by AG and the UPN. In subsequent years, the driver of growth is the state government. This is not to dismiss the contributions of other people into the development of Lagos. But substantially, the growth of Lagos is the act and art of Yoruba people.Lagos should continue its tradition of tolerance but its tolerance should resist the tyrant of its tormentors.
