Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood 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 ...

, located in

Eti-Osa Eti-Osa is a Local Government Area of Lagos State in Nigeria. Lagos State Government administers the council area as Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Eti-Osa East, and Iru Victoria Island LCDA. Within Eti-Osa are several important areas of Lagos State, inc ...

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 ...

. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and adjoins

Lagos Island Lagos Island () is the principal and central Local government areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian ce ...

to the west, and at the edge of the

Lagos Lagoon Lagos Lagoon (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ọ̀sà) is a lagoon found in the city of Lagos, southwest Nigeria, the most populous city in Africa. The name ''Lagos'' means 'lakes' in Portuguese language, Portuguese, therefore ''Lagos Lagoon'' is an ex ...

. Popular with the extreme upper class residents of Nigerian society, Ikoyi is arguably one of the wealthiest communities within

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, ...

. The area that makes up Ikoyi was originally a continuous land mass with

, until it was separated from it by the

MacGregor canal MacGregor canal was built between 1903 and 1904 during the colonial administration of William MacGregor, a medical doctor and Governor of the Colony of Lagos during the period of construction. The project was initiated as part of MacGregor's effort ...

, a narrow waterway that was dug by the British colonial government. This canal has now been built over or filled in, so that the island is fused with Lagos Island once again. It has been called in derogatory terms the "

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

by the slum" or the Belgravia of Lagos. The area is often referred to as Ikoyi I and Ikoyi II. Ikoyi I is typically closer to the original, older part of Ikoyi, which includes some of the most historic and well-established neighbourhoods. Ikoyi I often features more traditional architecture and older buildings, though many have been renovated or repurposed for modern use. This part of Ikoyi might house some of the well-known landmarks and historic sites, like the Ikoyi Club and some of the older colonial-era structure. Ikoyi II generally refers to the newer developments and extensions of the original Ikoyi, sometimes encompassing areas that have seen significant recent growth. Ikoyi II is often characterized by more contemporary developments, high-rise luxury apartments, and new commercial properties. This section might include new shopping complexes, office buildings, and modern infrastructure developments. The primary differences between Ikoyi I and Ikoyi II lie in their location within Ikoyi, the age and style of development, and the type of landmarks or facilities present in each area.

History

During the colonial era, the island was developed as a residential cantonment for the

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

community and still retains many of the large colonial residences built between 1900 and 1950. In the 1920s and 1930s, about 250 acres of land within South West Ikoyi and Obalende were reclaimed and redeveloped. The scheme also led to the redevelopment of a road to connect Onikan with Bourdillon Rd. Upmarket residential properties continued to be built after the colonial period, and the Island and its

Dodan Barracks Dodan Barracks is a military barrack located in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The barrack was the Supreme Military Headquarters during the Nigerian Civil War and from Supreme Military Council of Nigeria (1966–1979), 1966 to 1979 and Supreme Military Cou ...

became the residence of some of Nigeria's military rulers. Ikoyi now contains many other government buildings and businesses, hotels, schools, the famous social club

Ikoyi Club The Ikoyi Club was established as a European club in 1938 in Ikoyi, 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 ci ...

, and Ikoyi Golf Club.

Modern history

One of the main attractions in Ikoyi is Awolowo Road, which is a

high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

lined with upscale shops and boutiques. Due to its proximity to Victoria Island and Lagos Island, much of Lagos's business tourism is centred on Ikoyi, which has a mix of excellent 4-star hotels. Owing to recent unrest in the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

, several oil companies have moved their expatriate staff to Ikoyi. The area is now home to several large luxury apartments, estates, and upscale office developments. Lagos Preparatory School (13+), regarded as Africa's most highly accredited British School, is located in Ikoyi. Alfred Rewane Green Space 06

November 2021 building collapse

On 2 November 2021, a 21-storey building on Gerrard Road collapsed during its construction, killing several workers.

Economy and sites

Th
Greenhouse Premium City Club
exclusive club home to an outdoor terrace lounge, adult and kids pools, a pool bar, cabanas, indoor sports bar with top chefs.

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

Nigeria is headquartered in Ikoyi. The Lagos Jet Ski Riders Club, an elite club for the wealthiest of Nigerians is located in Ikoyi. Ikoyi Golf Club The Falamo garden

Government and infrastructure

The

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is a federal law enforcement agency in Nigeria under the Federal Ministry of Justice charged with eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard d ...

(NDLEA) is headquartered in Ikoyi. The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

(WHO) has its Lagos office in Ikoyi. The

Nigerian Government The federal government of Nigeria is composed of three distinct branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial, whose powers are vested and bestowed upon by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One of the primary f ...

Presidential Secretariat is headquartered in Ikoyi. The Deputy-Governor of Lagos State lives in Ikoyi. All of Nigeria's billionaires maintain property in Ikoyi.

Climate

Ikoyi is one of the regions with the highest amount of rainfall in Lagos, with rain often exceeding 3000 mm every year. Flooding is frequent during the rainy season on parts of the major road. Areas such as Dolphin Estates are plagued with chronic flooding.

References

{{Authority control Islands of Lagos Neighbourhoods of Lagos Shopping districts and streets Financial districts Islands of Yorubaland Lagos Island