Yaba area, formerly part of the old Lagos Municipal Council, which was earlier presided over by Dr.Ibiyinka Olorunimbe, and later, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, presently constitutes the major segment of the later created Yaba L.C.D.A., currently presided over by an educationist, Dr. Kayode Omiyale.
As chairman of this highly unique and historic local government council in Lagos State, he has brought in a dynamic impetus to bear in projecting the local government area to greater heights.
Going down the memory lane, one recalls that this notably strategic emporium of commerce and industry,embedding the greatest concentration of the leading educational institutions in Nigeria,was about the most urbanised center of the federation,in those days,apart from Ikoyi.
Indeed in modernity and enviable urban standard,Yaba in those days, surpassed the Lagos Island,which was then the seat of the British colonial administration.
Remember that the mostly shaggy houses of the natives which indiscriminately littered and dominated the landscape, haphazardly unplanned,had refused to give way for any meaningful sense of planning and expansion, necessary to accommodate the teeming mass of the upper and middle working class of the colonial administration, including the leading elites of the day.
The creation of Yaba area was therefore a dynamic response to the demographic question posed by an increasing influx of people,who were direly in quest of a suitable environmental habitat for settlement.
In those days,Yaba was indeed a beauty to behold,in terms of its finicky neatness, excellent urban planning and lay out, beautiful cottage villas,good roads, sufficient water supply,adequate playing fields for sports and recreation,like Rowe Park,and beautiful Love Gardens,and its alluring ambience and serenity.
Recalling those moments of golden memory,Elder Abdul Ganiyu Salako,President Association of Lagos State Indigenes, Mainland Chapter, recalled that Yaba was second only to Ikoyi in terms of development and urbanisation.
According to him,at that time,it was like an estate,just like the Gbagada Estate.
“It was occupied mainly by the upper class and the middle class,and in those days,a lot of Europeans were living there.”
“Yaba was a place of beauty to behold in those days. All those places like Wakeman, Olonode, Old Yaba Road were mainly occupied by the upper class”
“Everywhere was so clean. Mosquitoes was not so common at that time, because the city council at that time,ensured that they fumigate the gutters regularly”.
“Things like burglary proof were totally non existent, because there was adequate security”
“Also,refuse dumps were regularly and promptly picked without delay,right in front of your house”
The elderly octagenarian who was born in Olonode,where he also grew up,and also a contemporary of Lt. General Oladipo Diya,former Chief of General Staff,at the Yaba Methodist Primary School,recalled the unforgettable festivities of the annual Empire Day,which was often celebrated with great zeal and funfair in those days,at the Rowe Park.
Alhaji Salako recalled that in those days, legendary highlife musician, Bobby Benson of blessed memory, was living in Moleye street, near the old Casino Cinema,while his elder brother, Chief T.O.S. Benson, who was also federal minister of Information during the first republic,lived with his wife at Thorburn Street,at the spot which later housed the Oprah Benson Beauty Institute.
“I remember in those days,that whenever Bobby Benson wanted to deliver a letter to his elder brother, at that time, he had a special Alsatian dog, and he would put the material into the mouth of the dog, which delivered it without fail to his elder brother at his Thorburn Street residence”,said Elder Salako.
Celebrated politician and journalist,the Great Zik of Africa,also lived in a house at Alagomeji,almost near Sabo,while the headquarter branch of his bank,ACB,was also located in the same area, almost directly opposite his residential house
The famous Lagos City College founded by him,of which Professor Samuel Aluko,the world renowned economist,was the first principal,and of which the late soccer maestro,Haruna Ilerika,and rtd Major-General Ike Nwachukwu were studens,was also located in the same area,while the sports field behind the school,was the ground then used by the famous Zik’s Athletic Club.
In the media spectrum,Yaba could also be regarded as occupying a unique place in the annals of the development of journalism,in the sense that West African Pilot,founded by Zik, which dominated the journalistic firmament,just as it also served as a foremost bastion of the nationalist agitation for independence,was also situated in Sabo.
Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson,first military governor of Lagos State,who with his brother,Femi Johnson,a pioneer insurance magnate, lived at 22 Wakeman Street,now Borno way,and also both attended Yaba Methodist Primary School, recalled in his autobiography, how in those days,they used to serve as ball boys for Zik and his friends, whenever they played Tennis.”We earned three shillings per month,as the hogs,which is what we were called by Zik and his his friends”,Brigadier Johnson writes.
Other notable personalties who at one time or the other, also lived in Yaba area, included Chief Bode Thomas,Chief Awolowo’s bossom friend and one of the founding fathers of the Action Group.His house remains till today,at Araoti street,very near the Thorburn Street residence of Chief T.O.S. Benson.
Others include,Dr Tunji Otegbeye,the radical Marxist,Funsho Williams,and the famous Ben Bruce family,who lived around Commercial Avenue, including Tee Mac,the celebrated flutist,whom I often used to see as far back as 1970,at their family residence,at Little Road,around the St.Agnes area.
Also making the lists of distinguished ex Yabaites,as Yaba residents are often referenced were the famous lawyer,socialite and ex Chairman Julius Berger PLC,Alhaji I.S. Adewale, Alhaji Femi Okunnu,Commissioner for Works, during the Gowon administration,who lived at Adams Street end of Bornu Way,Cyprian Ekwensi,the celebrated novelist, who lived at Olonode Street, Major-General Oladipo Diya,ex Chief of General Staff, Professor Yemi Osibajo,Alhaji Y.P.O. Shodeinde,and of course,the theatre legend,the Late Hubert Ogunde.
Still of this same period,Alhaji Salako also recalled:”I remember Peter Eto Amaechina,an ex International and former Eagles coach,and people like Albert Onyeawuna,the great dribbler,and Onyeama, who were also regular faces in the vicinity”
“Though these people were not living around,at that time,they lived and played in Port Harcourt,but whenever they came to Lagos,they usually stayed within the Yaba area.They were all members of the national team, which was at that time known as “The Red Devil’s”
In those days,Yaba was also celebrated as the leading hub of entertainment,where leading musicians of the day, artists and entertainment impressarios strutted the stage and show-cased their talents.Yaba burstled with life,and there was never a dull moment.
For instance,the famous Kakadu,where Fela Anikulapo Kuti,the Afro-beat King pin used to thrill the teeming number of his fans in those days,was located in Alagomeji,the Obey Miliki Spot,owned by the renowned juju Star,Ebenezer Obey,was located in Olonode;while King Sunny Ade,the consumate master guitarist, dominated and held sway like the Lord of Manor,at the Ariya Nite Club,owned by him,at Jibowu area,Yaba.
Also at the Ambassador Hotel Sabo, familiar faces that strutted the stage in those days include Chief Billy Friday,Eddy Okonta, J.C.Arinze, Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson,Celestine Ukwu,and Victor Olaiya,among others
Such was the iconic entertainment giantry of the Yaba landscape,that the Caban Bamboo,at the Onipaanu area,owned by Booby Benson,and the Pappingo Hotel,at Ojuelegba, owned by Roy Chicago,derived a predominant chunk of patronage from the teeming mass of fun loving Yabaites.
In another commendable breadth,the immensely esteemed leading run of Yaba again unfolds an added replication in its esteemed stature as embedding the greatest agglomeration of leading educational institutions,in Nigeria,namely,The University of Lagos,Yaba College of Technology,Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Federal Institute of Health Technology, Federal Technical College, Federal Teacher’s Technical College, Queens College, Methodist Girls High School,Reagan Memorial Baptist College,among many others.
In the ecumenical firmament, this pivotal and strategic local government area also accomodates one of the greatest concentration of Christian religious Cathedrals,which include,the Redeemed National Headquarters, National Headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Methodist Church Cathedral,Saint Dominics Cathedrals, among others.
