Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commercial town with shopping malls, pharmacies and government reservation areas. It lies 10.5 miles (17 km) northwest of Lagos city.
Originally settled by the Yoruba people, the locality was raided for slaves until the mid-19th century. Early in the 20th century it became an agricultural hinterland for Lagos; kola nuts were first grown in Nigeria in this area. The opening of the Lagos-Ibadan railway in 1901 and the growth of Lagos as a port transformed Ikeja into a residential and industrial suburb of that city. In the mid-1960s an industrial estate was established, and in 1976 Ikeja became the capital of Lagos state.
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport is located in the city. Ikeja is also home to Femi Kuti's Africa Shrine and Lagbaja's Motherland, both venues for live music. Its Ikeja City Mall is the largest mall on the Lagos State mainland. Ikeja also has its own radio station, broadcasting both in English (Eko FM) and in Yoruba (Radio Lagos).
Several airlines have their head offices located in Ikeja. Arik Air's head office is in the Arik Air Aviation Centre on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed Airport. Aero Contractors has its head office on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed Airport. Other airlines with Ikeja head offices include Overland Airways, Air Peace, Associated Aviation, and Dana Air. In addition, Virgin Atlantic has its Nigerian office in "The Place" in Ikeja.
At one point, Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House. Before it was dissolved, Afrijet Airlines had its head office in the NAHCO Building on the grounds of the airport. Bellview Airlines had its headquarters in the Bellview Plaza. Other now-defunct airlines with head offices in Ikeja include Air Nigeria (formerly Nigerian Eagle and Virgin Nigeria Airways), on the 9th Floor of Etiebets Place, Sosoliso Airlines, and ADC Airlines.
Ikeja is home to the popular Computer Village, a large computer market which began in 997 as a small market of only 10 shops, the current market now has well over 3000. By 2019, the little shops at Computer Village had grown to multiple-storey shopping malls. The market is the most popular place to buy various types of office equipment and electronic devices in Lagos.
Ikeja is home to choice real estate and the best locations to live and work.
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Courtesy of Wikipedia and Britannica
