Ajegunle, popularly known as "AJ City" or simply "AJ", is a neighbourhood located in the heart of

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. It is located in the

Ajeromi-Ifelodun Ajeromi-Ifelodun is a Local Government Area in Badagry Division, Lagos State. It has some 80,000 inhabitants per square kilometer, among if not the world's densest. Ajeromi Ifelodun accommodates various ethnic groups, with the Yoruba tribe prev ...

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

of Lagos. Ajegunle in the

Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. ...

means "A place where riches dwells." It is bordered on the west by Apapa Wharf and

Tincan Celestine Cruz Gonzaga-Soriano (born January 20, 1984), professionally known as Toni Gonzaga, is a Filipino media personality, host, actress, businesswoman, singer and vlogger. Gonzaga was the former lead host of ABS-CBN's long-running reality ...

, two of Nigeria's biggest sea ports through which over 70 percent of imported goods come into the country. Ajegunle has a population of about 550,000 residents from many of the

ethnic groups in Nigeria Nigeria is List of African countries by population, the most populous country in Africa and the List of countries and dependencies by population, sixth most populous in the world. Nigeria is also one of the most densely populated countries in ...

History

The community was subject to the

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary Population, population clusters in Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, Delta State, Delta, and River ...

Ilaje Ìlàje is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Igbokoda. The Ilajes are a distinct migratory coastal linguistic group of Yoruba peoples spread along the coastal belts of Ondo, Ogun, ...

conflict that became an inspiration for the album ''CRISIS,'' released in 2007 by African China. The last national population census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006. It recorded a population of approximately 140 million people. A census was planned for 2024. Ajegunle, a densely populated suburb of Lagos, has experienced significant changes since 2008. Traditionally known for its challenges such as poverty, crime, and inadequate infrastructure, the community has nonetheless produced notable figures in Nigerian entertainment and sports, such as musicians and footballers. However, the area remains marked by underdevelopment. In recent years, Ajegunle has seen some degree of urban renewal. Investments from private individuals have led to the construction of modern buildings, hotels, and event centers, replacing older, dilapidated structures. This wave of development has been described as gentrification, with the influx of private capital transforming the community while also raising concerns about displacement and inadequate infrastructure planning. On the social front, initiatives like Paradigm Initiative’s LIFE (Life Skills, ICTs, Financial Readiness, and Entrepreneurship) program have targeted youth empowerment and digital literacy. The program, which originated as Ajegunle.org, has helped youths from the community acquire relevant skills to improve their economic opportunities. The success of these programs has led to their expansion across other parts of Nigeria and Africa. Despite these efforts, Ajegunle still faces many socio-economic issues.

Notable people

Ajegunle has produced several notable

footballers A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

including

Samson Siasia Samson Siasia (born 14 August 1967) is a Nigerian former professional football striker and the former head coach of the Nigeria national team from 2010 to October 2011. He was reappointed in 2016. On 16 August 2019, FIFA banned Siasia from all ...

, former coach of the Nigeria national team, former

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

striker

Odion Ighalo Odion Jude Ighalo (born 16 June 1989) is a Nigerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Wehda FC, Al-Wehda. After starting his career at Nigerian clu ...

, former

Super Eagles The Nigeria national football team represents Nigeria in Men's international football. Governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), they are three-time Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON) winners, with their most recent title in 2013. In Febr ...

defender

Taribo West Taribo West (born 26 March 1974) is a Nigerian pastor and former professional footballer who played as a defender. He is best remembered for his various unusual and colourful hairstyles. After winning several major trophies with Auxerre in Fren ...

Chinwendu Ihezuo Chinwendu Veronica Ihezuo (born 30 April 1997) is a Nigerian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Liga MX Femenil club C.F. Pachuca (women), Pachuca and the Nigeria women's nati ...

of the Nigeria women's national team, and

Emmanuel Amuneke Emmanuel Amunike (born 25 December 1970) is a Nigerian professional football manager and former association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger. Playing career Amunike played for Zamalek SC, Zamalek, Spo ...

, former

African Footballer of the Year The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African association football, footballer each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1992. Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré have won the award the ...

. Musician

Daddy Showkey Daddy Showkey is a veteran Nigerian galala singer. His genre of music is called ghetto dance or simply ghetto. He was born in Ajegunle and rose to popularity there in the late 1990s. He was born as John Odafe Asiemo but is known as Daddy Showkey ...

also rose to fame there in the late 1990s. Others are

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian music executive, record producer, singer, songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist. He founded the record label Mavin Records in 2012, as a sub ...

, and Pantoranking.

References

{{Authority control Neighbourhoods of Lagos Slums in Nigeria Badagry Division