by Chuks Oluigbo
It may well be true that the place of Oworonshoki as a critical link in the economic chain of Lagos has not been fully acknowledged. To begin with, Oworonshoki, a Lagos suburb ruled by the Oloworo of Oworonshoki, connects the Mainland and Island areas of Lagos through the 11.8km Third Mainland Bridge, the longest of the three bridges connecting the two parts of Nigeria’s commercial hub. The bridge begins at Oworonshoki and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island, with a link midway that leads to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. As such, many residents of Ikeja, Agboyi-Ketu, Ikorodu, Isheri, Oworonshoki, Gbagada, Yaba, Maryland, Oshodi and other parts of Lagos who work or do business on the Island commute through the bridge daily. The Third Mainland Bridge, with an average daily vehicular traffic of 117,000 as at 2019, is adjudged by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Works as the busiest road in the country.
Beyond connecting the two parts of Lagos, Oworonshoki lies on the very important Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway, which is intersected at different points by the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and Ikorodu Road. Thus, many consider it to be in the centre of Lagos State from where it is easy to reach other parts of the metropolis.
There is also the fact that Oworo, as it is popularly called, is surrounded by the Lagos Lagoon. Being surrounded by water makes it conducive for fishing and dredging activities. In fact, Oworonshoki is said to harbour different types of sand for building – sharp, golden, yellow, black and white sand. Located in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Oworonshoki is said to have been founded by Salami Ajumogijo, a man from Ilare, Agbole Ogunmole in Ile Ife, present-day Osun State. Ajumogijo migrated with his fellow hunters and settled in the place that is today called Oworonshoki, taking with them many shrines that included Ota, Oro, Egungun, Ifa and Ojubo-Obaluaye. Oworonshoki began to thrive after the settlers followed the instruction of Ifa oracle to perform a sacrifice to prepare for the coming of people from different places to trade in the community. Ajumogijo and the other hunters, when they killed an animal, would roast the animal, with smoke from the fire rising in billows to the sky. It was with this smoke that the people who were migrating from other areas in search of a place to settle located the community. When the new migrants saw the trading and other activities going on by the river bank, they said, ‘Ewo ero ni ilu soki yi, ti won se owo’, meaning, ‘Look at this great multitude doing business in this small place’. That was how Oworonshoki got its name.
The last ruler of Oworonshoki was Oba Bashiru Oloruntoyin Alabi Saliu, who joined his ancestors on 30th August, 2021. After his demise, the Oworonshoki community nominated Nurudeen Saliu as the next Oloworo of Oworonshoki Kingdom.
The late Oba, in an interview, said the crown worn by the rulers of Oworonshoki to this day was the same crown brought from Ile-Ife by the founding father of the town. The crown is celebrated annually in an event called “the Place of the Sacrifice of the Crown” (Ojubo Ade) at the palace. The community also makes sacrifices to the water goddess (Olokun Ota), on the instruction of Ifa, using white ram, white dove, kolanut and corn porridge. The sacrifice is to appease the goddess so that she does not to harm the people or cause erosion.
Oworonshoki, a densely populated, fully residential area, is, however, blighted by incessant gang wars by neighbourhood cults. Most of the inhabitants are low to middle class people and economic activities are not as vibrant as in many parts of Lagos. The area is served by markets like Miyaki and Olojojo, as well as several roadside shops and stalls. Social activities are minimal with a sprinkling of roadside bars. As in many old neighbourhoods in Lagos, new buildings are springing up here and there, chasing away the old buildings.
