One of the well- known locations in Lagos State with a deep historical legacy is Ebute Metta even though a lot of us might not be aware of it. We will reveal the historical evolution of this place in this article. Located in the Lagos Mainland local government district, Ebute Metta is an ancient neighborhood whose houses were primarily constructed utilizing Brazilian architectural style during the colonial era. It is well-known for producing and selling regional clothing and food. Ebute Metta is a component of Otto’s Awori Kingdom. Its capital, Otto, is located on the route to Lagos Island, right before Iddo.
In Yoruba, Ebute Metta translates to “The three Harbours.” This is so because the three harbors that make up Ebute Metta’s main structure are Iddo, Otto, and Oyingbo. In the past, these harbors were under the authority of Oba Oloto of Otto, who had his emissaries’ collect taxes from ships carrying cargo to Lagos Island. There was a lot of tension in Abeokuta in 1867 between the followers of the traditional religion and the Christian community, and things were about to go out of hand. It was almost like a sectarian conflict. The native Christian converts in Abeokuta implored the Europeans to take them to Lagos as they were about to be abandoned by some European missionaries, fearing that the traditionalists would wage war against them without the support of their European protectors.
After arriving in Lagos, the European missionaries went to the monarch to request that he set aside land for the Egba Christians who had come from Abeokuta. The monarch replied that Lagos Island was already full and that he could not afford to offer the Egba people the little land that was still available. Rather, he recommended that John Hawley Glover, the Colonial Governor, get in touch with his brother Oba, the Oloto, whose lands lay just across the lagoon. When Governor Glover reached out to the Oloto, they consented to grant the Egbas a sizable portion of property extending from Oyingbo (now Coates Street) to a point immediately before the Yaba lands start (Glover Street), where the LSDPC Estate was eventually constructed some 130 years later. Two prominent Egba Christians are Saros and Amaros. They established a settlement they dubbed Ago Egba, which translates to “Egba Camp.” They started trading after constructing St. Jude’s Church and schools for their kids. They created streets by dividing the land, initially naming them after their European missionaries and colonial officers. Oloye Osholake and other Egba chiefs were honored with street names. Thus, we had King George V Street (now Herbert Macaulay Street), Denton Street (later called Murtala Muhammad Way), Griffith Street, Freeman Street, Cemetery Street, Bola Street, Osholake Street, Tapa Street, and more.
But because of their educational background, these Ebute Metta individuals are the first group of government officials in Nigeria
Many people traveling from the hinterland to Lagos found Ebute Metta to be a magnificent destination after the amalgamation of1914 and the building of railways. Many of these individuals were unable to find lodging on the Island, which was solely accessible to Europeans and upperclass Nigerians. When the third-generation descendants of the Ago Egba people in Ebute Metta built the Lisabi Hall and it was put into service in 1938, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, which had stations and offices nearby, employed them as engineers, technicians, and stationmasters.
Notable structures in Ebute Metta include the headquarters of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the post office, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, the Oyingbo Market, a large bus terminal, St. Saviour’s School, Junior Strides Academy, Ajayi Memorial Hospital, Ijero Baptist Church Nursery and Primary School, Foucos Secondary School (a school constructed by the former minister for education), Ebute Metta Health Center, Federal Medical Center Ebute Metta, and a variety of stores. Ebute Metta East and Ebute Metta West are the two primary divisions of Ebute Metta.
