Ajegunle is a cosmopolitan community which
was founded by the Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Hausa and many other ethnic
settling there. Thus, it is a conglomerate of settlements of ethnic
groups within Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area who, in the
earliest times of the Lagos Colony, had embarked on voyages for business
purposes. It used to be the boundary between the Western Region and
Lagos Colony.
That is why the area called Boundary in Ajegunle is so named because it marked the boundary point. Ajegunle , which literally translates to rooted wealth, is a heterogeneous commercial city. Though the name means different things to different folks, to some, it is a Lagos suburb that is notorious for its filthiness and criminal tendencies.
To some, it is an undesired debacle in the midst of a sprawling mega-city. To many, it ranks as one of the mega-city’s most disturbing ghettos. Yet, some revere Ajegunle as home like no other which occupies an ultimate pedestal on the Nigeria’s entertainment landscape.
Today, Ajegunle not only have the remarkable repertoire of musicians who, with a blitz of grit, have made notable strides in contemporary Nigeria, it is also reckoned for the vibrant musical culture and genres which had emanated from there.
The city is also famous for producing some of the country’s finest broadcasters and discjockeys who became house-hold names in the entertainment landscape of the country.
Ajegunle, it seems is hard finding its place in the megacity equation of Lagos State. Its demographic strength and right infrastructures that will attract the commensurate development are apparently its selling point.
According to Honourable Kamal Ayinde Bayewu, a former two term chairman of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government, “Ajeromi/Ifelodun is the second largest most populated local government in the federation. That is where you find about 300-400 people living in a house. We don’t have large landmass, but we have people.
So, a lot of people are coming in to invest in Ajegunle because we are creating the enabling environment by regenerating the area for the people to come in and invest.
He added that, “when you consider that Ajegunle is surrounded by communities like Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island and Amuwo that are far developed, you’ll agree with me that Ajegunle really need to be opened up for development. That’s what we have done by construction of access roads to aid the people and facilitate development.
But the government must have a deliberate developmental action in other to regenerate this community called Ajegunle.“ As one walked around the different direction of the community, a picture of people who are dignified in labour cut across. Now, everyone seems to be involved in productive ventures in a peaceful environment.
This sharply contrasts the once-held notion that Ajegunle city is peopled by social misfits. Baale of Ajegunle, Chief Shehu Salami is ever grateful to God for the peace and development that has come to Ajegunle City. Although its development, he noted, was propelled by the multitude of other ethnic groups who thronged this place before the breakout of the civil war.
He said, it will not be out of place to trace the inter ethnic clashes that once almost engulf Ajegunle to the mutual suspicion which characterized interaction between the indigenes and the settlers. “The peace that we have now is made possible by the joint effort of all the residents and the members of the security agencies.
We resolved to maintain peace in this vast community because we believe we must live in peace as there was no place to run to. So, we called a meeting and collectively resolved that the bad elements must be identified and swept away from this community.
This was in collaboration with the security forces that are domiciled in this area. This paid off. That’s why we have the kind of peaceful environment that we now have in Ajegunle”. He explained that the transformation of Ajegunle could have well been taken far in time.
When the idea of redevelopment of the area was first flown by the former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the idea was summarily exterminated. Bayewu now posited that dearth of information from the government, and apprehension on the part of the people made the proposal not to fly.
“The idea was abandoned because the people were not well informed. Also, because we were just coming from long period of military rule, they never believed that if their houses were taken from them they would ever have access to them again. Their apprehensiveness was further fuelled by the opposition.”
It will be of interest to know what developmental height Ajegunle has attained to make an appealing parade, and hence project this transforming community to the world. With a tone of glee, Hon Bayewu disclosed that “as at today, we have nine wards in Ajeromi/Ifelodun and we have been able to open up many roads for easy access and interlink.
Places like Alayabiagba, Boundary road, Iyalode, Ojora, Olowojeunjeje, Layinka, Mosafejo etc. If you go to Ago-Hausa, you find new buildings and schools springing up. Araromi is now well linked to Awodiora so that the people can access the Mother/ Child Health Centre and the magistrate court newly built there.
“What we have heavily invested in this local government is road in other to enhance the standard of living of our people. Also to create a conducive environment for learning, we have fenced most of the public schools and now have new gigantic schools around. These are some of the things that we are doing”.
He pointed to what he believes stands Ajegunle out in the Lagos state, “the perception that Ajegunle is a place of never-do-wells has changed and we are proud of this. Development is an ongoing thing that no government can complete.
We have 333 roads which need funds to be expanded and reconstructed. We need not less than four high streets in this community. One of them has been done in Mosafejo: we are still expecting that Ojo Road and others will be constructed.”
But as laudable as the development in Ajegunle may seem, there is still far more to be done if the envisioned goal of making Ajegunle to occupy a prime place in the Mega city project of the state is to be maximally attained.
All over the sprawling community, the resultant impact of absence of some facilities like designated motor parks are readily conspicuous. From Suru-Alaba to Alaiyabiagba and Boundary, the indiscriminate parking by commercial bus and motorcycle (okada) operators portrays the city as an assemblage of disorderly people, especially to a first-time visitor.
“One thing that we are still battling with is the lack of space for motor parks so that the indiscriminate parking of commercial buses can be eradicated, thereby creating an orderly atmosphere for free movement of commuters and residents. At a time, we have made effort to see how government can create at least an acre out of the land on which the Boundary Market is presently built.
This, we have canvassed should be dedicated as commercial bus garage,” Chief Salami bemoaned. He added that “Although the chairman of the council has really tried in the development process of Ajegunle and its environs, the state government should step in and do more in the development process.”
Despite the fact that so much that has changed about Ajegunle, its collection of canals which traverse around the community need to be concreted and made clean.
Also, the Old Ojo Road, one of the major roads and the one that strategically connects with the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which has been turned into a beehive of unwholesome activities and auto market should be sanitised and made free to aid access into and from Ajegunle.
Written By:
NEW TELEGRAPH, Santity Of Truth.
That is why the area called Boundary in Ajegunle is so named because it marked the boundary point. Ajegunle , which literally translates to rooted wealth, is a heterogeneous commercial city. Though the name means different things to different folks, to some, it is a Lagos suburb that is notorious for its filthiness and criminal tendencies.
To some, it is an undesired debacle in the midst of a sprawling mega-city. To many, it ranks as one of the mega-city’s most disturbing ghettos. Yet, some revere Ajegunle as home like no other which occupies an ultimate pedestal on the Nigeria’s entertainment landscape.
Today, Ajegunle not only have the remarkable repertoire of musicians who, with a blitz of grit, have made notable strides in contemporary Nigeria, it is also reckoned for the vibrant musical culture and genres which had emanated from there.
The city is also famous for producing some of the country’s finest broadcasters and discjockeys who became house-hold names in the entertainment landscape of the country.
Ajegunle, it seems is hard finding its place in the megacity equation of Lagos State. Its demographic strength and right infrastructures that will attract the commensurate development are apparently its selling point.
According to Honourable Kamal Ayinde Bayewu, a former two term chairman of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government, “Ajeromi/Ifelodun is the second largest most populated local government in the federation. That is where you find about 300-400 people living in a house. We don’t have large landmass, but we have people.
So, a lot of people are coming in to invest in Ajegunle because we are creating the enabling environment by regenerating the area for the people to come in and invest.
He added that, “when you consider that Ajegunle is surrounded by communities like Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island and Amuwo that are far developed, you’ll agree with me that Ajegunle really need to be opened up for development. That’s what we have done by construction of access roads to aid the people and facilitate development.
But the government must have a deliberate developmental action in other to regenerate this community called Ajegunle.“ As one walked around the different direction of the community, a picture of people who are dignified in labour cut across. Now, everyone seems to be involved in productive ventures in a peaceful environment.
This sharply contrasts the once-held notion that Ajegunle city is peopled by social misfits. Baale of Ajegunle, Chief Shehu Salami is ever grateful to God for the peace and development that has come to Ajegunle City. Although its development, he noted, was propelled by the multitude of other ethnic groups who thronged this place before the breakout of the civil war.
He said, it will not be out of place to trace the inter ethnic clashes that once almost engulf Ajegunle to the mutual suspicion which characterized interaction between the indigenes and the settlers. “The peace that we have now is made possible by the joint effort of all the residents and the members of the security agencies.
We resolved to maintain peace in this vast community because we believe we must live in peace as there was no place to run to. So, we called a meeting and collectively resolved that the bad elements must be identified and swept away from this community.
This was in collaboration with the security forces that are domiciled in this area. This paid off. That’s why we have the kind of peaceful environment that we now have in Ajegunle”. He explained that the transformation of Ajegunle could have well been taken far in time.
When the idea of redevelopment of the area was first flown by the former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the idea was summarily exterminated. Bayewu now posited that dearth of information from the government, and apprehension on the part of the people made the proposal not to fly.
“The idea was abandoned because the people were not well informed. Also, because we were just coming from long period of military rule, they never believed that if their houses were taken from them they would ever have access to them again. Their apprehensiveness was further fuelled by the opposition.”
It will be of interest to know what developmental height Ajegunle has attained to make an appealing parade, and hence project this transforming community to the world. With a tone of glee, Hon Bayewu disclosed that “as at today, we have nine wards in Ajeromi/Ifelodun and we have been able to open up many roads for easy access and interlink.
Places like Alayabiagba, Boundary road, Iyalode, Ojora, Olowojeunjeje, Layinka, Mosafejo etc. If you go to Ago-Hausa, you find new buildings and schools springing up. Araromi is now well linked to Awodiora so that the people can access the Mother/ Child Health Centre and the magistrate court newly built there.
“What we have heavily invested in this local government is road in other to enhance the standard of living of our people. Also to create a conducive environment for learning, we have fenced most of the public schools and now have new gigantic schools around. These are some of the things that we are doing”.
He pointed to what he believes stands Ajegunle out in the Lagos state, “the perception that Ajegunle is a place of never-do-wells has changed and we are proud of this. Development is an ongoing thing that no government can complete.
We have 333 roads which need funds to be expanded and reconstructed. We need not less than four high streets in this community. One of them has been done in Mosafejo: we are still expecting that Ojo Road and others will be constructed.”
But as laudable as the development in Ajegunle may seem, there is still far more to be done if the envisioned goal of making Ajegunle to occupy a prime place in the Mega city project of the state is to be maximally attained.
All over the sprawling community, the resultant impact of absence of some facilities like designated motor parks are readily conspicuous. From Suru-Alaba to Alaiyabiagba and Boundary, the indiscriminate parking by commercial bus and motorcycle (okada) operators portrays the city as an assemblage of disorderly people, especially to a first-time visitor.
“One thing that we are still battling with is the lack of space for motor parks so that the indiscriminate parking of commercial buses can be eradicated, thereby creating an orderly atmosphere for free movement of commuters and residents. At a time, we have made effort to see how government can create at least an acre out of the land on which the Boundary Market is presently built.
This, we have canvassed should be dedicated as commercial bus garage,” Chief Salami bemoaned. He added that “Although the chairman of the council has really tried in the development process of Ajegunle and its environs, the state government should step in and do more in the development process.”
Despite the fact that so much that has changed about Ajegunle, its collection of canals which traverse around the community need to be concreted and made clean.
Also, the Old Ojo Road, one of the major roads and the one that strategically connects with the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which has been turned into a beehive of unwholesome activities and auto market should be sanitised and made free to aid access into and from Ajegunle.
Written By:
NEW TELEGRAPH, Santity Of Truth.
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