Lagos is known as the "land of aquatic splendour" because of the many lagoons, creeks, rivers and other waterways in the state. The state got its name from these bodies of water. The word Lagos means lakes in portuguese. The portuguese came to Lagos and saw many creeks and lagoons and believed that they were lakes and therefore named the place "lakes" (Lagos). The original name of the kingdom is Eko.

The biggest and most famous body of freshwater in Lagos is the Lagos Lagoon. It's so famous that many people believe that all major waterways in Lagos are part of the Lagos Lagoon. This is not true. Therefore this thread contains descriptions and pictures of all the major freshwater bodies in Lagos.

1) Lagos Lagoon:

This is the largest body of fresh water in Lagos. It is bordered by Ikorodu (Ibeshe, Baiyeku, Ikorodu Port, Ikorodu Industrial Estate, etc), Ketu, Oworonshoki, Bariga, University of Lagos (Yaba), Makoko, Ebute Metta, Ilubirin (Lagos Island), Osborne Foreshore (Ikoyi), Park View Estate, Banana Island, Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Garden City, Ajah, Langbasa, etc.

Ferries ply the lagoon, taking passengers to and from jetties in Ikorodu, Ajah (Oke-Ira), Lekki, Osborne Road, Oworonshoki, etc. Barges also ply the lagoon, carrying goods from the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports to the Ikorodu Port/NPA Lighter Terminal.

Map of Lagos Lagoon.


A canoe on the Lagos Lagoon, with the Third Mainland Bridge in the background.
[img]http://naijachronicles.files./2013/02/third-mainland-bridge.jpg[/img]

2) Five Cowrie Creek:

This is a small river that separates Ikoyi/Lagos Island from Victoria Island/Lekki. Its source is the Lagos Lagoon and it empties into Lagos Harbour/Elegbeta Channel just beyond Independence Bridge.

It is bordered on the Victoria Island/Lekki side by Bonny Cantonment, Walter Carrington Crescent, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Sandfill, Lekki Expressway and Lekki Phase 1. On the Ikoyi/Lagos Island side, it is bordered by Banana Island, Alexander Avenue, Queens Drive, Falomo, Raymond Njoku Street, Ademola Street, Awolowo Road and Onikan.

There are three bridges across Five Cowrie Creek. They are Independence Bridge, Five Cowrie Bridge (aka Falomo Bridge) and Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.

The Lagos Motor Boat Club (Awolowo Road), the Aquamarine Boat Club (Civic Centre), the Fiki Boat Club (Law School) and the BICS Garden Boat Club (Lekki Phase 1) all have jetties on the Five Cowrie Creek and there are therefore a lot of pleasure boats, speed boats and small yachts that ply Five Cowrie Creek. You can often see the Nire Prest Lunch And Dinner Cruise, Dangote's yacht (Mariya) and Otedola's yacht (Nana) on the creek. The Marine Police Headquarters (Awolowo Road) is also on the creek.

Map of Five Cowrie Creek.





Five Cowrie Creek.



Five Cowrie Creek, Oriental Hotel, etc.





Five Cowrie Creek, Civic Centre, 1004, etc.




View of Five Cowrie Creek from Independence Bridge.




The Nire Prest on Five Cowrie Creek.

3) Elegbeta Channel:

The Elegbeta Channel is the body of water that separates the Marina business district from the Apapa industrial and port district. It is bordered by the Apapa Port, NNS Beecroft (Nigerian Navy), Marina, etc.

It is one of the busiest waterways in Lagos. Large ships from around the world ply the channel on their way to the Apapa Port, Customs Quays (Marina) and the Ijora Wharf. Much smaller ferries transport passengers from Apapa and other parts of Lagos to Marina, while Nigerian Navy warships and patrol boats also ply the channel on their way to patrol the nation's coastline.

The Lagos Yacht Club (at Onikan) is at the beginning of the channel (where Five Cowrie Creek empties into the Elegbeta Channel), there is a marine police station at Marina and the National Inland Waterway Authority also has an office at Marina.

Map of Elegbeta Channel.


Sail boats (from the Lagos Yacht Club) and a cargo ship on the Elegbeta Channel. Behind them are the tall buildings on the Marina.



The Sunborne Yacht Hotel on the Elegbeta. Channel. Behind it are Freeman House (Shell Headquarters), Stallion Plaza (Union Bank) and UBA Building.



Marina-Apapa ferry (Texas Connection Ferries) on the Elegbeta Channel.
[img]http://naijachronicles.files./2013/02/floatingmolue.jpg?w=300&h=199[/img]

Elegbeta Channel and Marina.


Sailboats on the Elegbeta Channel and Necom House (Net Building).




Necom House, General Hospital Marina and the Elegbeta Channel.

4) Commodore Channel:

Commodore Channel is the body of water that separates Victoria Island from Apapa. It is also a very busy channel, serving as the gateway into Lagos for ships coming from outside Nigeria.

The Commodore Channel also has very important facilities on its banks. These include the Atlas Cove jetty (the largest jetty in Lagos for the reception of petroleum products), Tarkwa Bay Beach, the Nigerian Navy Dockyard (on Victoria Island), Bonny Cantonment (army base), Federal Palace Hotel, Apapa Port and the Beecroft Point lighthouse.

Map of Commodore Channel.




Commodore Channel at the point at which it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Eko Atlantic City is on the right and Tarkwa Bay is on the left.


Commodore Channel and Federal Palace Hotel.



Tarkwa Bay Beach.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/2284615_tarkwabaylagos_jpegdf9cb1bdfda831986bcd1186932c7b99

Lighthouse at Beecroft Point on Commodore Channel.

5) Badagry Creek:

Badagry Creek is a creek that flows from Benin Republic into Commodore Channel in Lagos. It is also known as Porto Novo Creek.

Badagry Creek is bordered by Apapa, Ajegunle, Kirikiri, Mile 2, Amuwo Odofin, Satellite Town, Navy Town, Nigerian Navy Air Station, Ojo, Badagry, etc. There are many islands on the creek, including Tin Can Island and Snake Island.

The last third of the creek is usually very busy. Cargo ships ply the creek to and from the Tin Can Island and Apapa ports, oil tankers ply the creek to and from the various oil jetties on the creek and ferries take people to and from the Mile 2 jetty. There is also a ship repair and dry dock facility on Snake Island. Pleasure boats also ply the creek, to and from the Apapa Boat Club and the Nigerian Navy Sailing Club.

The old Badagry slave port and museum is on Badagry Creek.

Badagry Creek has its source in Lake Nokoue in Benin Republic and empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Commodore Channel.

Map of Badagry Creek.









Snake Island



Tin Can Island



The Point Of No Return, Badagry Slave Port on the Badagry Creek.

6) Lekki Lagoon:

The Lekki Lagoon is on the eastern border of Lagos State and Ogun State. It is bordered by Epe and Ibeju Lekki on the Lagos side and Iwopin on the Ogun side. It is connected to the Lagos Lagoon via a narrow channel.

There are two major islands on the lagoon. They are Refuge (Asaforiji) Island and Ita Oko Island.

Ita Oko Island was the site of Tekunle Prison, a secret prison that was used by the government from the 1950s till the 1980s. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was detained at the prison in the 1960s. The prison was converted to a rehabilitation centre for destitutes and area boys in the early 2000s.

Map of Lekki Lagoon.

7) Ologe Lagoon:

Ologe Lagoon is in the Ojo area of Lagos. Its neighbours are the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) and the Agbara Industrial Estate (in Ogun State). It lies between the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and the Atlantic Ocean.

Map of Ologe Lagoon.

8 ) Kuramo Waters:

Kuramo Waters is that body of water that lies between Eko Hotel and the Atlantic Ocean on Victoria Island. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow sandbar. The Kuramo Waters lagoon was originally a freshwater lagoon, but in recent years a lot of salt water enters the lagoon during the rainy season, due to the erosion of the sandbar that separates it from the Atlantic. The situation was made worse by the huge ocean surge of 2012.

Kuramo Beach was the site of many shanties, entertainment centres, night clubs, brothels and drug sellers. It was one of the main red light sections of Victoria Island. The Lagos State Government demolished the shanties and redeveloped the beach after the 2012 ocean surge.

Map of Kuramo Waters.









Picture of Kuramo Waters (left) and the Atlantic Ocean from Eko Hotel.

I will visit one with my boiz

9) Lekki Leisure Lake:

The Lekki Leisure Lake is a small body of water that lies between the first and second roundabouts in Lekki. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow beach.

The beach was previously surrounded by shanties, but the shanties were demolished (the people living in them were moved to Lekki Beach) and the beach was redeveloped.

Satellite picture of Lekki Leisure Lake.




Picture of Lekki Leisure Lake.

10) Ogun River

The Ogun River has its source in the Old Oyo National Park, in the Saki area of northern Oyo. It flows through Ogun State before emptying into the Lagos Lagoon in northern Lagos State.

The river is dammed at two points along its course, the Ikere Gorge Dam in northern Oyo and the Oyan Dam in Abeokuta.

There is sometimes flooding in the Ikorodu area of Lagos when the Ogun State authorities open the Oyan Dam in order to reduce pressure on it. The worst case of flooding occurred in October 2010 when the water washed away a bridge on Ikorodu Road and hundreds of people had to be evacuated.

A committee has been set up by the Lagos and Ogun State governments to ensure that the destruction caused by the release of water from the Oyan Dam is reduced. The Ogun State Government would inform the Lagos State Government before opening the dam and the Lagos State Government will evacuate people in the area and take necessary steps to ensure that the effects of the release of excess water from the dam is minimised.

The Ogun River flows beneath both the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Ikorodu Road and past the Alagbado, Ojodu and Magodo areas of Lagos.

Naptu, always on point.

Eko Oni baje oo.

Btw, Naptu2, what's the name of the bridge after bonny camp/ Walter Carrington opposite the Naval base where they sell fresh fish?

ifyalways:
Naptu, always on point.

Eko Oni baje oo.

Btw, Naptu2, what's the name of the bridge after bonny camp/ Walter Carrington opposite the Naval base where they sell fresh fish?

Independence Bridge.

naptu2:


Independence Bridge.

Thank you very much.

Bnjj

OK but who d map epp

speechless

Eko oni ba'je oh!

Lagos Lagos...

a cirry developed by our brothers from the lost tribe of Isreal. In fact, they're the one that fetched all the water to Lagos Lagoon

Okay Informative !








Cheeeeeers

Love lagos

Which of the lagoons them been want put us inside?

Great thread naptu2

Lovely documentary

Beautiful to behold

That lagoon is so big enough to accommodate our brothers from the other side

Op is always make sense.

omusiliyu:
Lagos Lagos...

a cirry developed by our brothers from the lost tribe of Isreal. In fact, they're the one that fetched all the water to Lagos Lagoon

U no well! .

Nice one op