Agege: History
Agege was a corruption of a name of an individual called Aige or Aiyige (just like Success "Aayege" in Yoruba language, means success or being successful in an ancient Awori aborigine dialect) who founded and settled having consulted his oracle 'Ifa" before settling on the part of his farmland named idàà adun/Idò Adun, located within the current day ídéè bua and ipodo Orile Agege before moving to Isale odon.
"Orile" means "proper" (Agege proper) is often used to distinguish the old settlement from the recent settled town called Agege station which was settled by traders in the late 19th century thus booming kola nuts trade, accelerated by Railway shed which complemented the emerging Agege market activities in the town. As recorded in mid 20th century “About 70% of the kolas despatched to the Northern Province pass through the rail-head at Agege and it owes its size partly to the possession of Railway station and partly to its situation as the center of a large kola and cocoa producing area. And In the year 1933 more than 50% of the kolas consumed in Nigeria passed through the Agege Railway goods sheds.”
Contrary to Ilu Awon Ageigi, the old Agege was an offshoot of Otta, covering about 75,000 ha (290 mi2) of land and included villages like Ogba, Ikola, Ayobo, Meiran, Ekoro, Mosan, Akiogun and Anishere were all under the control of Baale of Alaige in Orile Agege and the Bale was subjected to Otta until the 1840s when Otta was rumored to have been captured by Ègba during the Dahomean war. The war which lasted between the 1840s to until 17th and 18th century 1850s saw the people of Agege move to Lagos for shelter and the then Bale Alaige settled at Iru (Victoria Beach) where he married the daughter of Eleko Adele before he and his people returned circa 1850s.
After the cessation of Lagos in 1861 by King Dosunmu of Lagos, Agege was prominently recognized by Governor Glover of the Colony as one of the oldest villages in Lagos and the Bale Alaige (Baale of Orile Agege) was the first on the available list to be granted subsidies by Governor among other old villages during the old colony in the year 1888. While the remainder of the country was being opened up the hinterland of Lagos (including Agege) added by cession to the territories originally ceded by the King of Lagos in 1861. In 1866 Lagos had been included in the West African Settlements, and in 1874 it was united with the Gold Coast Colony. It became the separate Colony and Protectorate of Lagos in 1886.
At a various of the second half of the 19th century, fairly large number of villages and hamlets were founded over the forested landscape of the standstone of the then Agege-Ikeja district covering about 75,500 ha (292 mi2) the area with its well drained soil and empty forestland offered great attraction to various group of Awori from Otta, Egbado from Ilaro, Égba from Abeokuta, other Yorubas, Nupe, Ekitis migrants who founded many settlements. Also most of trader whom came to trade decided to stayed due rapid economic growth. from When the kolanut plantations in the Agege area started to flourish it attracted huge settlements.
Agege Station experienced rapid development and became a powerful centre of the kolanut trade. These settlements attracted different people of different backgrounds and interests such as traders, laborers, and most of these were Hausa. Whenever the Yoruba's needed labourers for jobs such as cutting of trees, they would engage the services of the Hausa people. …