Yoruba built Lagos before Nigeria became a country

By Prof. Ayo Ojeniyi

The aim of this post is an attempt to correct the dangerous misinformation trending AMONG SOME YOUTHS. That, Lagos was developed with Nigeria’s monies, when Lagos was not even part of Nigeria until 1914.

For the sake of our generation and posterity, we needs to teach factual history. Communication technology is a major signifier of civilisations, and if Lagosians were already making telephone calls more than 70 years before Nigeria, where then is the warped idea that Nigerian money was used to develop Lagos.

In 1805, Madam Ẹfúnróyè Tinúbú was the first woman to buy a car, she was a wealthy woman with her own army.

In 1845, THE FIRST STOREY BUILDING IN what became NIGERIA is located IN BADAGRY, LAGOS STATE

By 1848, Madam Ẹfúnróyè Tinúbú was a politically and economically influential figure in Lagos. The landmark Tinubu Square in Lagos, was named after her and also has a statue of her.

In 1852, a Post Office was established in Lagos.

In 1856, Cable and Wireless Company of the UK had commissioned a submarine cable link between Lagos and London.

In 1859, the oldest Secondary School in what became Nigeria, CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos was founded by the Church Missionary Society.

In 1872. Lagos was a cosmopolitan trading center with a population of over 62,000 people.

In 1876, imports were valued at £476,813 and exports at £619,260.

In 1886, Telecommunications started.

By 1893 offices in Lagos, Jẹbba and Ilọrin were provided with telephone services.

In 1886, Electricity generation began in Lagos, with the use of generators to provide 60 kW.

In 1894, the first bank in what became Nigeria, First Bank was established in Lagos.

In 1898, there was electric street lighting in Lagos.

In 1903, the first set of films shown in what became Nigerian theatres was, in Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos.

In 1913, Ọlayinka Herbert Macaulay was the first Nigerian to own a car…all these before the emergence of Nigeria as an amalgamation.

In 1913, Tom Jones donated the first public library to Lagos State Government.

In 1923, what became Nigerian Electricity Supply Company was established as the electricity utility company for the commissioned electricity power station at Ijọra, Lagos. At commencement, the power plant had a generation capacity of 20 megawatts.

In 1923, Ọlayinka Herbert Macaulay formed what became Nigeria’s first political party, Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP).

In 1930, Onikan Stadium, Lagos was built, its why its the oldest stadium in Nigeria. In 2019, its was renamed by the Lagos State Government from Onikan Stadium to Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

In 1930 Abibu Oluwa was one of the first music performers in Lagos.

In 1946, The father of what became Nigerian theatre, Herbert Ogunde featured in Tiger’s Empire in Lagos theatres.

In 1947, Yaba College of Technology, popularly known as YABATECH, was founded in Yaba, Lagos.

In the 1950s, popular music was flourishing in a wide range of styles, with Tunde Nightingale, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Rex Lawson, J.O. Araba, C.A. Balogun, etc; while Ayinla Omowura started playing a form of Apala different from that of Haruna Isola. It was called Olalomi. Later in 1971, he came out with a high tempo Apala and he became extremely popular.

By the 1950s, Ọlábísí Àjàlá, a Lagos socialite, globetrotter who saw the world, toured about 87 countries on a motorcycle, but died at home at 65.

In 1952, Akintola Williams was the first chartered accountant. He founded Akintola Williams & Co., Nigeria’s first indigenous accountancy firm.

In 1958, Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola became the first indigenous Chief Justice of what became Nigeria.

In 1964, late Chief SL Akintọla was the first man to import a bulletproof car into Nigeria (Mercedes Benz £8,000).

Since 1967, The juju maestro King Sunny Ade became a household name. His Ariya Club at Jibowu, Yaba is always fans delight. He is the first African to be nominated twice for a Grammy Award.

By 1970, Fela Anikulapo Kuti laid the foundation for a musical revolution called the Afrobeat, he constructed a distinct Afro-rock aesthetic.

In 1977, superstar American musicians, Steve Wonder and James Brown landed in Lagos, as Nigeria hosted second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC). Contemporarily, there are bevy of popular musicians from Lagos State: K1, Simi, Asake, Bank W, Naira Marley, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Teni, Joeboy, Lil Kesh, Lil Frosh, Olamide, Niniola Apata, Korede Bello, Bola Abimbola, WurLD, WizKid, Sean Tizzle, Pepenazi, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Brymo, Segun Bucknor, Wande Coal, Darey, DJ Cuppy, Lara George, May D, Nikky Laoye, Koker, Akin Euba, Kunle Ajayi, YCEE, Oritse Femi, Mo’Cheddah, Portable, DJ Lambo, DJ Spinall, MCskill, Portable etc. .

Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ will continue to be the Yoruba’s hero, because he solidly gave his people the system of free education, free healthcare and he outstandingly introduced Television to the Yorubas in 1959; making Yorubaland the first region to have a TV station in Africa, even before France; all done with revenues from Cocoa.

Factually, PZ 7UP P&G GSK UAC UTC KFC KPMG BATA CFAO MTN ZAIN GLO ETISALAT CADBURY BIGI COLA KINGSWAY COCA-COLA LEVENTIS STORES LEVENTIS MOTORS GUINNESS SHOP-RITE ELEGANZA SUNFLAG DUNLOP MICHELIN BOSCH BERGER PAINTS GOLDEN PENNY FLOUR MILL INDOMIE NESTLE JOHN HOLT UNILEVER CHI LIMITED TOWER JW BUSH BAGCO OANDO CONOIL TOTAL ENI OIL SHELL MOBIL CHEVRON FORTH OIL NIGERIA BREWERIES SOUTH ATLANTIC OIL FIRST BANK PLC (1894) THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY RT Briscoe SPECTRANET Bajaj AUTO SIMBA group CHURCHGATE VOLKSWAGEN JAWA GROUP EMEL GROUP MILAN GROUP Geepee GROUP DANGOTE GROUP FOLAWIYO GROUP CHELLARAMS Plc C. WOERMANN MAY AND BAKER WAMCO AQUADANA SHERATON PROTEA HOTEL ORIENTAL HOTEL EKO HOTEL & SUITE JULIUS BERGER FRIESLAND FOODS SCHLUMBEGER FRIESLAND CAMPINA PEUGEOT AUTOMOBILE INTER CONTINENTAL HOTEL BRITISH AMERICA TOBACCO RCC CCECC CONSTRUCTION AIT TVC WAP TV DBN TV MITV TV GALAXY TV YỌTỌMI TV CHANNELS TV SILVERBIRD TV CLAPPERBOARD TV Radio Diffusion Service (RDS) (1933) RADIO LAGOS 107.5FM Tiwa n’ Tiwa (1977) RAYPOWER 100.5 FM 24hrs (1994) ÌWÉ ÌRÒHÌN (1859 to 1867) DAILY SUN DAILY POST TELL MAGAZINE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (1949) CONCORD NEWSPAPER THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER THE NATION NEWSPAPER VANGUARD NEWSPAPER THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER SAHARA REPORTER LARFARGE, etc. These companies are what attracts millions of people to Lagos as well as Apapa Industrial Estate, and Ilupeju Industrial Estate built by Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ.

The point is Lagos was a prosperous city state long before Nigeria and it was built by the Yoruba not Nigeria.