Lagos Island

Lagos Island is a significant geographical and historical area within Lagos, Nigeria. Originally settled by Yoruba fishermen and hunters and known as Oko, it later came under the influence of the Benin kingdom, which called it Eko. The Portuguese arrived in 1472, and by the late 16th century, a flourishing slave trade developed on the island, which the Portuguese named Onim and later Lagos.1

British involvement grew, leading to the suppression of the slave trade and the eventual annexation of Lagos in 1861. It served as a British crown colony and later as the capital of Nigeria. Despite the development of a new federal capital at Abuja, Lagos remains Nigeria's largest city and a major commercial and administrative center, with its population concentrated on Lagos Island. The topography is characterized by low-lying islands and lagoons, with a mix of slums and modern business districts.1