Portal:Lagos State

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The Lagos State Portal

Lagos State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó, Gun: Ayìmátẹ̀n Awọnlìn tọ̀n) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.

Geographically, Lagos State is dominated by bodies of water with nearly a quarter of the state's area are covered with bodies of water. The largest of these bodies are the Lagos and Lekki lagoons in the state's interior with the Ogun and Osun rivers flowing into them. Many other rivers and creeks flow throughout the state and serve as vital means of transportation for people and goods. On land, non-urbanized areas are within the tropical Nigerian lowland forests ecoregion with natural areas containing threatened populations of mona monkey, tree pangolin, and hooded vulture along with a transitory population of African bush elephants. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are large fish populations along with African manatees and crocodiles. (Full article...)

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The Oba of Lagos, also known as the Eleko of Eko, is the traditional ruler (Oba) of Lagos. The Oba is a ceremonial Yoruba sovereign with no political power, but is sought as a counsel or sponsor by politicians who seek support from the residents of Lagos, the financial heart of Nigeria and the largest city in Africa. The Oba has appeared in tourism advertisements on behalf of the city, often stating "You've gotta go to Lagos", among various other ceremonial roles.

All Obas of Lagos trace their lineage to Ashipa,a war captain of the Oba of Benin. Ashipa was rewarded with the title of the Oloriogun(War leader) and he received the Oba of Benin's sanction to govern Lagos on his behalf. Some Benin accounts of history have the Ashipa as son or grandson of the Oba of Benin. Ashipa received a sword and royal drum as symbols of his authority from the Oba of Benin on his mission to Lagos. Additionally, the Oba of Benin deployed a group of Benin officers charged with preserving Benin's interests in Lagos. These officers, led by Eletu Odibo, were the initial members of the Akarigbere class of Lagos White Cap Chiefs.

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Image 1Chair market in Badagry, 1910 (from Lagos State)
Image 2Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State (from Lagos State)
Image 3Map of Greater Lagos with bridge, Manhattan as compare (from Lagos State)
Image 4Artificial island with bridge (from Lagos State)

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Femi Odugbemi portrait

Femi Odugbemi is a Nigerian writer, filmmaker, television producer and the founder and executive producer of Zuri24 Media, a content production company in Lagos.

Odugbemi was the president of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), the chair of the Lagos International Forum on Cinema, Motion Pictures and Video in Africa from 2002 to 2006. He was also appointed to the Steering Committee of the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) by the Minister of Information and Communication in the same year.

He is a member of the adversary board of the School of Media and Communications, Pan African University, a member of the board of Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts (LAPA) and the international advisor and consultant of the Orange Academy, Lagos. Odugbemi was the head judge for the Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards for five years: 2012 to 2014, 2019 and 2023; head judge of the Uganda Film Festival Awards for three years: 2014 to 2016 and a juror in the Johannesburg International Film Festival and a juror and mentor of the Netflix/UNESCO African Folktales Reimagined project. (Full article...)

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.... that art curator Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi described sound artist Emeka Ogboh's workⓘ as capturing "the maddening hyper-visuality of Lagos"?
...that Queen Elizabeth II sat for Ben Enwonwu on twelve occasions as he created his sculpture of her?
...that The Anglo-African (pictured) was the first newspaper to be published in the British Colony of Lagos?
...that after failing to establish a colony for black Americans at Abeokuta, Robert Campbell (colonist) founded the first newspaper in Lagos?