Lagos is our land: indigeneship associations and the protection of the rights of Lagosians since 1950

Abstract

Who owns Lagos and how does one become a Lagosian? Is it through nativity or residency? The rate of migration into Lagos has earned the city the appellation of a no-man’s land. The Awori (a sub-group of the Yoruba) who founded Lagos now constitute about one third of the population. This study examines the protest of influential Awori of Lagos against the political domination of metropolitan Lagos and Lagos State by outsiders, using the platform of indigeneship associations such as the Awori Welfare Association, Association of Lagos State Indigenes and the Committee of Indigenes Association of Lagos State. The study is based on extensive fieldwork in all the administrative divisions of Lagos State, and examines the personalities behind the associations, the class structure and the nature of their political demands. The research findings indicate that the xenophobic attitude in Lagos could degenerate into open violence if not handled with care.