by Chuks Oluigbo
One of the oft-told stories of Ajegunle is that this urban jungle in the heart of Lagos has birthed uncountable talents. History bears witness to this claim. Ajegunle, popularly called “AJ City” or “AJ”, has produced numerous soccer stars, from Samson Siasia to Taribo West, Emmanuel Amuneke, Peter Rufai, Jonathan Akpoborie, Ifeanyi Udeze, Victor Agali, Odion Ighalo, Gabriel Okolosi, Biodun Upe Obende, Peter Nieketien, Tarila Okorowanta, Chinwendu Ihezuo of Nigeria’s women’s national team, among others. Names like Daddy Fresh, who has been honoured with the title “King of Ajegunle Musicians”, Daddy Showkey, Baba Fryo, Don Jazzy, Danfo Drivers (Mad Melon and Mountain Black), Marvelous Benji, Professor Linkin, Rayan T, Stereoman (Ekwe), African China, Raymond King, Junglist, KC, Basket Mouth, Tanker and Manson, Oritsefemi, Soldiers of Christ, Father U-Turn, and many others like them have either made or are still making their mark in the entertainment industry. It was this city that gave the world the Galala and Suo dance steps.
The second story is not complimentary. It is about how this ghetto city in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State is a breeding ground for all sorts of criminals. In truth, all shades of social miscreants are on the prowl in Ajegunle, such that the best advice anyone can give you when in Ajegunle is to hold your valuables to your chest. Pickpocketing is a regular occurrence. Gang wars break out every now and then, often leading to fatalities. Sex work is a thriving business and almost every street has at least a brothel. Almost everywhere you turn, there is a teenager nursing an unwanted pregnancy or a teen mother nursing a baby she can hardly take care of.
Yet, a less-told story is how a wind of urban renewal is blowing through Ajegunle, a city whose name translates as “wealth has landed here” or “a place where riches dwell”. This ghetto, where overcrowded, squalid face-me-I-face-you houses were once its signature, is gradually wearing a better look. Modern, multi-storeyed buildings are springing up on the rubles of the old slum houses, pointing to the inflow of private capital into Ajegunle. Most areas of Ajegunle bear witness to this in the form of new hotels, event centres, bars, residential apartments, hospitals, and so on. Examples are the four-storey City Point Hotel, Clinix Healthcare Limited, Tolu Medical Centre, among others on Ojo Road.
There is a reason Ajegunle may be attracting the attention of real estate investors. Ajegunle is strategically located close to Apapa and Tincan, Nigeria’s busiest seaports, as well as to the Lagos Island. Compared to Apapa and Lagos Island, Ajegunle offers far cheaper property prices. With demand for land within a built environment on the rise, many owners of old buildings would sell and relocate out of Ajegunle. Some Ajegunle brought-ups who have made good are also returning to their city with some cash to remodel old homes.
Another story is that Ajegunle is a cultural melting pot, hosting people from almost every Nigerian ethnic group. There is hardly any ethnic group that is not represented in Ajegunle. The presence of these multifarious ethnic groups breeds occasional fights.
And then, there is the less talked-about Boundary Market, which got its name from its location that, in colonial Nigeria, was the border between the Western Region and the Lagos Colony. It is a large market where virtually every item is not only available but also affordable. Buses are readily available to places like CMS, Ojuelegba, Mile 2, Oshodi, Ojota, etc. But more interesting is the presence of a flourishing book market at Boundary Market. It is a whole section dedicated to wholesale and retail of all kinds of books, from academic books to religious and motivational books.
Though a wind of change is blowing across many parts of Ajegunle, it is still largely the densely-populated slum city that it once was. The cost of living is cheap compared to most parts of Lagos, though poverty is rife, and basic infrastructures are few and far between. New talents are emerging, but without proper direction, many prospective stars have missed their way and taken to drugs, betting, prostitution, cultism, and other vices.
