Some names are very funny here in
Ilorin, u will hear names like Iya Kaduna,
Baba Kano, Iya Jos etc. Take a close
look, they did not record any success
during their stay in those places, they
didn't make any meaningful impact fa,
they returned home empty handed, the
one that's close to me is Baba Eko. Y
carrying a state name on top ya head?
From them u will hear cock and bull
story and they will want u to swallow it
hook, line and sinker e.g. simenti
Dangote ni won fiko biriiji meeriland
( Dangote cement was used for the
construction of Maryland bridge), haba!

.
I kinda think those names are common in most region in 9ja esp region of people that travels a lot.
I get your point about some of them not making any impact but the names was given as a nickname to them because they stayed at that particular place for long. And its best way to describe them i think...

There is one alhaji from kano that stayed most of his life in PH. Till date the kano people still call him Baba Porta.

Kinda like a nickname to easily describe them.