By Favour OLABANJI


Lagos, the country's former capital, is unarguably its largest city in terms of population. With an estimated 14.3 million people according to the UN, it is also the 4th largest economy in Africa.

This much-talked-about city, on its territorial land area of 351,861 hectares, is made up of five administrative divisions, namely: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos [Eko], and Epe. The divisions were created in May 1968 by virtue of Administrative Divisions [Establishment] Edict No. 3 of April 1968. They were further divided into 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas respectively. This was in accordance with Nigeria’s federal structure and the need to bring governance, development and participatory democracy to the grassroots.

Putting a firm focus on LAGOS (Eko) division of the 5 existent Divisions in the state, one can see that it poses to be a trailblazer in its dealings from infrastructure to trade, politics and social development.

No doubts, this Division in particular is the core of Lagos State and a highly urbanized division. It consists of five Local Governments: Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Apapa and Eti-Osa, as well as eight Local Council Development Areas which include Lagos Island East, Yaba, Itire-Ikate, Coker-Aguda, Ikoyi-Obalende, Apapa-Iganmu, Eti-Osa East and Iru/Victoria Island: the pivot of an ever expanding megacity and the divisional headquarters. The center and the most developed of this island chain, Lagos Island, is called ‘Eko’ by the indigenes. The name ‘Lagos’ is a derivative of a Portuguese imposition of ‘Lagos de Curamo’ or ‘Rio Lago’ on account of its wetland topography and network of lagoons. The Island is the cultural watershed of the White Cap [Idejo] Chieftaincy and metropolitan Lagos with the Oba of Lagos as the paramount monarch and primus inter pares of the state traditional authorities.

Evidently, Lagos Division has proven to be eligible to celebrate its culture, history, scuffles, struggles, successes and distinctions as a trailblazer in the LAGOS STATE story.

It is, in my opinion, intelligent, innovative and forward-thinking for an indigenous union of academias (National Union of Lagos Division Students, Lagos State University -- NULDS-LASU) under the Leadership of Comr. Shonibare Opeyemi to have initiated a novel ceremony to celebrate the Division's excellence and as well launch an indigenous culture-driven documentation of its history tagged "IPINLE Magazine".

The potential of this laudable idea could have either been short-lived or crude in appearance, had it been starved of a master architect and idea implementation expert like Mr. Oluwatumininu Adetoro, who serves as the Chairman, Planning Committee of the Eko Day Ceremony and IPINLE Magazine Launch. He is assisted by a powerful and swift secretariat handled by an experienced documentation specialist, Mr. Ajibowu Yunus Olamilekan.

Trust me, the design of excellence put together by the best hands in Lagos Division isn't what you would want to miss for anything in the world.

On the 14th day of August, 2021, come and witness the excellence in Lagos that gives everyone a say irrespective of their varying indigenous backgrounds.

This event, to celebrate indigenous excellence, will hold at the Arcade Hall of Eko Club off Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos State. Don't miss it!