Lekki is a city in

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. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

, adjoining to its west

Victoria Island Victoria Island () is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago that straddles the boundary between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the eighth-largest island in the world, and at in area, it is Canada's second-largest i ...

and

Ikoyi Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood of Lagos, located in Eti-Osa Local Government Area. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and adjoins Lagos Island to the west, and at the edge of the Lagos Lagoon. Popular with the extreme upper class r ...

districts 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 ...

, with the Atlantic Ocean to its south,

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 ...

to the north, and

Lekki Lagoon Lekki Lagoon is a lagoon located in Lagos and Ogun states in Nigeria. The lagoon lies directly to the east of Lagos Lagoon and is connected to it by a channel. It is surrounded by many beaches. Real Estate Developments There are two phases in th ...

to its east; however, the city's southeast, which ends around the western edge of

Refuge Island A refuge island, also known as a pedestrian refuge or pedestrian island, is a small section of pavement (material), pavement or sidewalk, surrounded by Asphalt concrete, asphalt or other road materials, where pedestrians can stop before finis ...

, adjoins the eastern part of

Ibeju-Lekki Ibeju-Lekki is a local government area of Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria. The administrative centre was formerly at Akodo and was later moved to Igando Oloja due to the creation of the Lekki Council Development Area. The name of the Local government ...

LGA. The city is still largely under construction, as of 2015, only phase 1 of the project had been completed, with phase 2 nearing completion. The peninsula is approximately 70 to 80 km long, with an average width of 10 km. Lekki currently houses several gated residential developments, agricultural farmlands, areas allocated for a

Free Trade Zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re- exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject t ...

, with an airport, and a sea port under construction. The proposed land-use master plan for Lekki envisages the Peninsula as a "Blue-Green Environment City", expected to accommodate well over a residential population of 3.4 million in addition to a non-residential population of at least 1.9 million. Part of the Lekki peninsula was formerly known as Maroko, a slum, before it was destroyed by the

Raji Rasaki Raji Alagbe Rasaki (born 7 January 1947) is a retired brigadier general in the Nigerian Army who served as military governor of Ogun State, Ondo State, and Lagos State between 1986 and 1991 during the military administration of General Ibrahim ...

-led

military government. One of its

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

, Lekki phase 1, has a reputation of having some of the most expensive real estate in Lagos State.

History

Over 34 years ago, families residing in Maroko, then a suburb of Lagos, faced eviction from their homes ostensibly to protect them from diseases associated with slum conditions and prevent unnecessary loss of life. Heavily armed soldiers, under the command of Colonel Raji Rasaki and supervised by the Military President at the time, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, carried out the eviction in the early hours of July 14, 1990. The operation was executed with military precision, showing no mercy or intent to take prisoners. The soldiers, many of them in their late teens, took advantage of the lack of resistance from the terrified residents, unleashing havoc by destroying homes, forcefully taking women and girls, and causing chaos reminiscent of a real war zone. For these young soldiers, it may have been their first taste of official violence, a brutal initiation stripping away their innocence. In the midst of the chaos, families scattered in all directions, desperately trying to find each other amid the destruction. Some sustained injuries from flying debris, while others tragically fell victim to uncovered wells hidden in their frantic escape routes. What was once Maroko is now known as Lekki Peninsula, a transformation that erased the painful history of the past, leaving it buried beneath the progress of time.

Economy

In 2006, the Master Plan of

Lekki Free Trade Zone Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoining to its west Victoria Island and Ikoyi districts of Lagos, with the Atlantic Ocean to its south, Lagos Lag ...

, covering a total area of 155 square kilometres at the easternmost end of the

, was initiated and prepared by the State Government of Lagos. The Plan defined the free zone as a special multi-functional economic zone and a new modern city with several south-west and north–south traffic corridors. Later, in July 2008, the

blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842. The process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...

of developing the entire Lekki Peninsula into a 'Blue-Green Environment City' was proposed by the state Government, which covers an additional area of 600 square kilometres. The Lekki City plan was prepared by Messrs Dar al Handersah, Shair and Partners, for Lagos State Ministry of Urban Planning and Physical Development. Based on the proposed land-use plan, Lekki city, excluding the Lekki Free Zone, will be divided into 4 linear development zones; the North Urban Zone, which will be largely residential; the Natural Park Zone, which will consist of an environmental and nature conservation park; the South Urban Zone, which will include the existing and new residential developments along with commercial and mixed uses, as well as light industry; and the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Coastal Zone A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

, which will mainly be developed for tourism and recreational activities. The land-use master plan will stipulate a total built-up area of about 100 square kilometres, which can accommodate a residential population of about 3.4 million and non-residential population (touristic, hotels, commercial, offices, medical and industrial) of about 1.9 million. Several institutions, estates and new investments are springing up along the Lekki axis that has been described as "the fastest growing corridor in west African sub-region".

Dangote Oil Refinery

For decades, there was no oil processing industry in Nigeria, apart from illegal refineries 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 ...

(which were very polluting due to the lack of

cracking Cracking may refer to: * Cracking, the formation of a fracture or partial fracture in a solid material studied as fracture mechanics ** Performing a sternotomy * Fluid catalytic cracking, a catalytic process widely used in oil refineries for crac ...

). Nigeria therefore had to have the end products of domestic crude oil such as fuels,

bitumen Bitumen ( , ) is an immensely viscosity, viscous constituent of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition, it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. In American Engl ...

paraffin Paraffin may refer to: Substances * Paraffin wax, a white or colorless soft solid (also in liquid form) that is used as a lubricant and for other applications * Liquid paraffin (drug), a very highly refined mineral oil used in cosmetics and for med ...

motor oil Motor oil, engine oil, or engine lubricant is any one of various substances used for the lubrication of internal combustion engines. They typically consist of base oils enhanced with various additives, particularly antiwear additives, deterge ...

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer Propene, propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefin ...

etc. produced in US or European refineries, with transport costs over thousands of nautical miles and margins for middlemen. The oil refinery in Lekki went into operation in December 2023 and is expected to process 650,000 barrels of oil per day when fully operational, making it the seventh-largest oil refinery in the world. 57,000 people have been hired.

Lekki Deep Sea Port

At the beginning of 2023, the deep-sea harbour Lekki was put into operation 50 km to the east, but still within the Lagos agglomeration. It can handle super post-Panamax container ships and quintuples Nigeria's harbour capacity. The container terminal has a 1,200-metre-long quay, three container berths and a storage area with more than 15,000 spaces. The general layout of the container storage and handling area consists of a stacked container arrangement. The terminal is designed to handle 2.5 million twenty-foot standard containers per year. The deep-sea port of Lekki is the first port in Nigeria with ship-to-shore cranes. It has three of these container gantry cranes; they belong to the "Post-Panamax" group - this means that they can reach and unload the rearmost row of containers even if the container ship is wider than the Panama Canal (i.e. over 49 metres wide overall). The port's computerised system enables container identification and handling from the office; human interaction will be minimal in the physical processes. Nevertheless, the port will create 169,972 jobs, according to Managing Director Du Ruogang. The additional revenue for the Nigerian state through taxes, duties and licence fees is estimated at USD 201 billion. On 22 January 2023, a few hours before the official inauguration by President Buhari, the first commercial ship, the container freighter CMA CGM MOZART, docked in the port.

Lekki Free Trade Zone

Lekki Free Trade Zone (Lekki FTZ) is a free zone situated at the eastern part of Lekki, which covers a total area of about 155 square kilometres. The first phase of the zone has an area of 30 square kilometres, with about 27 square kilometres for urban construction purposes, which would accommodate a total resident population of 120,000. According to the Master Plan, the free zone will be developed into a new modern city within a city with integration of industries, commerce and business, real estate development, warehousing and logistics,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, and entertainment. Free-Trade-Zone-Lekki-English

Lekki FTZ is divided into three functional districts; the residential district in the north, industrial district in the middle and commercial trading/warehousing & logistics district in the southeast. The "sub-centre" located in the south of the Zone is to be developed first. The region is close to the customs supervisory area, and it is mainly for commercial trading,

logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...

and warehousing operations. The second phase is located in the north of the Zone adjacent to E9 Road (Highway) which will serve as

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

of the free zone. The area along E2 Road will be developed for financial and commercial businesses, estate properties & supporting facilities, high-end production service industries and so on, which will link it to the sub-centre the Zone. The area along E4 Road will be utilized mainly for the development of logistics and industrial manufacturing/processing. A number of connection axes are also planned in-between the principal axis and the sub-axis, with multi-functional service nodes to serve the whole of Lekki FTZ.

Dangote Refinery The Dangote Refinery is an oil refinery owned by Dangote Group that was inaugurated on 22 May 2023 in Lekki, Nigeria. When fully operational, it is expected to have the capacity to process about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the l ...

is currently being built in the Lekki Free Zone. In the start-up area of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, there will be a Commercial & Logistics Park which will cover a total area of 1.5 square kilometres. The Park was planned to be multi-functional with the integration of commerce, trading, warehousing, and exhibition. According to the Site Plan of the park, large construction works will be built in the park, including the "international commodities & trade centre", the "international exhibition & conversation centre", industrial factory workshops, logistics warehouses, office buildings, hotels and residential apartment buildings, amongst others.

Culture

Lekki Conservation Centre

Lekki Conservation Centre Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) is a Natural Resource Conservation in Lekki, Lagos State Nigeria. It is part of PARCC West Africa project. History The centre was established in 1990 to serve as biodiversity conservation icon and envi ...

(LCC) is one of the major

Nigerian Conservation Foundation The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is an environmental non-governmental organization that promotes environmental tourism with the goal of expanding awareness of Nigeria's natural resources and creating economic incentives. Founded in 198 ...

(NCF) conservation sites. It covers a land area of 78 hectares in Lekki. The Conservation Centre was established in the 1990, before the development of Lekki, for the conservation of wildlife found in southwest coastal environment of Nigeria, in the face of sprawling urban development. The project has promoted environmental protection and worked against poaching by surrounding communities as well as serve as a tourist centre for local and international visitors. Over two million

tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

of more than 100 nationals have visited Lekki Conservation Centre since its establishment. Most of NCF's School Conservation Clubs were established following the impact of individual visits to the centre. LCC land area is divided into two sections: the LCC Complex and the nature reserve. The LCC Complex comprises a multi-purpose

rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

surrounded by four office blocks, containing project staff offices, a gift shop, a canteen, and the drivers' office. The nature reserve consists of a mosaic of vegetation types, which includes:

secondary forest A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has regenerated through largely natural processes after human-caused Disturbance (ecology), disturbances, such as Logging, timber harvest or agriculture clearing, or ...

swamp forest Freshwater swamp forests, or flooded forests, are forests which are inundated with freshwater, either permanently or seasonally. They normally occur along the lower reaches of rivers and around freshwater lakes. Freshwater swamp forests are foun ...

, and

Savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

Nike Art Gallery

The ''

Nike Art Gallery Nike Art Gallery is an art gallery in Lagos, Nigeria owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye. The gallery is one of the largest of its kind in West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nation ...

'' is an art gallery in Lagos owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye. The gallery is probably the largest of its kind in West Africa. It is housed in a five-storey building and has a collection of about 8,000 different works of art by various Nigerian artists such as Chief Josephine Oboh Macleod. The gallery is the most popular tourist destination in the city and has nothing to do with the sporting goods manufacturer of the same name.

Oba Elegushi Market

The Lekki Arts and Crafts Market (known to Lagosians as Oba Elegushi Market) offers a wide variety of African arts and crafts. It is considered the largest art market in Nigeria.

Buildings

A frequently photographed structure in Lagos is the Lekki-Ikoyi-Bridge, which was completed in 2013. Mark Zuckerberg has already jogged across it. The 12,000-seater indoor arena Lagos Arena is currently being built in Lekki, with construction commencing in February 2024 and expected to finish in December 2025.

Education

Lekki British School Lekki British School (LBS) is a British international school in Lekki, Lagos State. It serves preschool, junior school, and high school in its campus. There is a boarding facility for high school students. The school was established in September ...

, a British international school, is in Lekki. The American International School of Lagos maintains the Lekki Campus.About

Archive
(Select "About" on the screen). American International School of Lagos. Retrieved on April 30, 2015. The Italian International School "Enrico Mattei" has its campus in Lekki. The Pan Atlantic University which started as

Lagos Business School Lagos Business School (LBS) is the graduate business school of Pan-Atlantic University and is owned by the Pan-Atlantic University Foundation (PAUF), a non-profit foundation registered in Nigeria. LBS was founded by three professionals - Juan Ma ...

is located in Lekki.

Notable neighbourhoods

* Ajah *Ikota *Ikate-Elegushi *Jakande * Phase 1 *Igbo-Efon *Idado *Chevron *

Victoria Garden City Victoria Garden City (VGC) is a gated community (estate) off Lekki Epe Express Way, ikota Lekki, Lagos Lekki Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoini ...

*Osapa *Agungi *Lekki palm city

Transport

The proposed Lekki-Epe International Airport would serve the area as a second

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

for Lagos, and the Green Line of the future

Lagos Rail Mass Transit Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a rapid transit system in Lagos State. The rail system is managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA). The railway equipment including electric power ...

will connect Lekki with Lagos city.

Notable residents

Alibaba Akpobome Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, professionally known as Ali Baba, is a Nigerian stand-up comedian, master of ceremonies and actor. Early life Ali Baba was born in Agbarha otor, Delta State, Nigeria on 24 June 1965, to the royal family of Agbarha O ...

2Baba Innocent Ujah Idibia MON (; born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba and formerly as 2Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and philanthropist known for his solo debut album, '' Face 2 Face''. He is regard ...

Funke Akindele Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele (born August 24, 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerians, Nigerian filmmaker, actress, director, producer, politician , and realtor.Funsho AkinwaleFunke Akindele gives first glimpse of her tw ...

Bobrisky Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju (born 31 August 1991), predominantly known as Bobrisky, is a Nigerian social media personality. She is a transgender woman known for her presence on the social media apps Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. Bobrisky has a ...

Major business precincts

Shoprite ShopRite is an American retailers' cooperative of supermarkets with stores in six states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York (state), New York and Pennsylvania. Based in Keasbey, New Jersey, ShopRite consists of 50 individua ...

Lekki Mall 2. Spar 3. Chevron Drive 4. Ajah Market 5. Ikota Complex

Tourist attractions

Lekki is a peninsula, bordered in the south by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and in the North by the

. The main attractions are its numerous beaches and bustling night life. Some tourist attractions are: *

Places of worship

House on the Rock (church) House on the Rock is an Evangelical Christian Church headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It is well known for its annual musical concert, The Experience (World's Largest Gospel Concert), which features both local and international gospel musici ...

2. The Elevation Church 3. This Present House 4. RCCG, Tabernacle of David

Gallery

File:Suspended Bridge, Osbon Lagos 02.jpg, Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge File:Lekki Toll Gate.jpg, Lekki Toll Gate File:Lekki Phase 1.jpg, Lekki Peninsula File:Oriental Hotel.jpg, Oriental Hotel File:2nd Toll Gate at Lekki.jpg, 2nd Toll Gate at Lekki File:Peninsula Hotel.jpg, Peninsula Hotel File:Shoprite at Lekki.jpg, Shoprite at Lekki File:Road Directional Sign at Lekki.jpg, Road Directional Sign at Lekki File:1004 building, lekki road, Lagos, Nigeria.jpg, 1004 building, lekki road File:Lekki free trade zone.jpg, lekki free trade zone

References

* {{Commons category, Lekki Populated places in Lagos State Islands of Yorubaland Neighbourhoods of Lagos