Editing Lagos State (section)

==History==

{{Main|History of Lagos}}

===Early history===
Before the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] name of Lagos had been adopted, Lagos' initial name was Eko which referred mainly to the [[Island]]. The first to settle in Eko were the [[Awori tribe|Awori]]s. Trade later drew various groups to the island, including the Portuguese in the 16th century. <ref>{{cite book |title=History of Nigeria, Lagos and Benin |author=Sir Alan Burns |date=1929 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-85681-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MB-yEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT33}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fwc5AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA15|title=The Yoruba Today |author=Jeremy Seymour Eades|publisher=Cambridge University Press (Changing Culture Series)|page=15|year= 1980|isbn=9780521226561}}</ref> The Awori hunters and fishermen had originally come from [[Ife|Ile-Ife]] to the coast.<ref name="Lagos State, Nigeria">{{cite web|url=http://www.ngex.com/nigeria/places/states/lagos.htm |title=Lagos State, Nigeria |access-date=2014-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/pagelinks.php?p=8|title=History of Lagos State|access-date=2014-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209151402/http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/pagelinks.php?p=8|archive-date=9 February 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

It was in 1760 that the name Lagos was adopted by the Portuguese. Naming it after a city in Southern Portugal which was used as port for [[History of slavery|slave trade]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The transatlantic slave trade |url=https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/history-of-slavery/transatlantic-slave-trade |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=National Museums Liverpool}}</ref>

===British Involvement===
{{Main|Reduction of Lagos}}
[[File:James George Philp - British Men o' War Attacked by the King of Lagos GAC GAC 6427.jpg|thumb]]
 
In late 1851, the British Royal Navy bombarded Lagos (in present-day Nigeria) in the "Reduction of Lagos." The attack aimed to suppress the Atlantic slave trade, which had thrived in Lagos since the arrival of the Portuguese. The British sought to depose Oba Kosoko, who resisted efforts to end the trade. After Kosoko fled, the British installed Oba Akitoye, a more cooperative ruler aligned with their anti-slavery efforts. In 1861, Oba Docemo was the one who signed the treaty making Lagos a [[British Overseas Territories|British colony]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-06 |title=Lagos, Nigeria (ca. 1350- ) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/places-global-african-history/lagos-nigeria-c-1350/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> 
===Colonial Era===
{{See also|Lagos Colony|Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Colonial Nigeria}}
[[File:Flag of Lagos Colony (1888–1906).svg|thumb]][[File:Chair market-Badagry-1910.jpg|thumb|Chair market in [[Badagry]], 1910]]
[[File:Catholic Church, Lagos, Nigeria, ca.1917 Cropped.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Lagos-Marina.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Prince Oyekan - Oba of Lagos and others, photo by Neils Walwin Holm, 1894-2.jpg|thumb]]
The Lagos Colony was established in 1861 when the British annexed Lagos, primarily to suppress the transatlantic slave trade and establish a base for expanding British commercial and political influence in West Africa. Strategically located along the Atlantic coast, Lagos quickly became a major center for trade, particularly in palm oil, cocoa, and cotton, which were in high demand in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Its deep natural harbor made it an essential port for British shipping and trade routes. Economically, Lagos became a gateway for exporting goods and importing British manufactured products, boosting colonial revenues and strengthening British dominance in the region. Politically, Lagos served as the administrative and military base for British expansion into the Nigerian interior, facilitating the broader colonization of Nigeria through treaties, military campaigns, and indirect rule. The infrastructure and institutions established in Lagos during the colonial period laid the foundation for modern Nigeria’s economic and political systems.

===Post-colonial era===
Lagos State was created on 27 May 1967 according to the ''State Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14 of 1967'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lagos, Nigeria (1960 - 1970)|url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ng-la.html|website=www.crwflags.com|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> which restructured Nigeria into a [[federation]] of 12 states.<ref name="Lagos State Information">{{cite web | url=http://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/information/details/Lagos | title=Lagos State Information | publisher=National Bureau of Statistics | access-date=25 October 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109140122/http://nigerianstat.gov.ng/information/details/Lagos | archive-date=9 November 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Lagos |url=https://lagosstate.gov.ng/about-lagos/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=Lagos State Government |language=en-US}}</ref> Before the issuance of this Decree, [[Lagos|Lagos city]], which was the country's capital had been administered directly by the Federal Government through the ''Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs''.<ref name="Lagos State Information" /> However, [[Ikeja]], [[Agege]], [[Mushin, Lagos|Mushin]], [[Ikorodu]], [[Epe, Lagos State|Epe]], [[Surulere]], and [[Badagry]] were administered by the then Western Region Government.<ref name="Lagos State Information"/> Lagos, the city, along with these other towns were captured to create the state of Lagos, with the state becoming fully recognized as a [[semi-autonomous]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Semiautonomous Definitions {{!}} What does semiautonomous mean? {{!}} Best 4 Definitions of Semiautonomous |url=https://www.yourdictionary.com/semiautonomous |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.yourdictionary.com}}</ref> administrative division on 11 April 1968.<ref name="Lagos State Information"/> Lagos served the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital until 1976 when the capital of the state was moved to [[Ikeja]].<ref name="Lagos State Information"/> After the full establishment of the [[Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria|Federal Capital Territory]], based on the recommendation of the [[Akinola Aguda|Akinola Àgùdà]]–led committee set up by General [[Murtala Muhammed]] to review the need for a new capital for Nigeria in 1975. The seat of the Federal Government was formally relocated to [[Abuja]] on 12 December 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ogbuenyi |first=Nosike |date=2022-02-03 |title=Abuja at 46: The Dreams, Strides, Challenges |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/features-and-interviews/509441-abuja-at-46-the-dreams-strides-challenges.html |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=Premium Times Nigeria |language=en-GB}}</ref> Nevertheless, Lagos remains the financial centre of the country, and even grew to become the most populous city in the state and the country.<ref name="Lagos State Information"/>
===21st century===
===2002 Lagos Armoury explosion===
{{Main|2002 Lagos armoury explosion}}
[[File:Oke-afa memorial arcade or monument.jpg|thumb]]
The 2002 Ikeja Armoury Explosion occurred on January 27, 2002, when a series of explosions took place at the [[Ikeja Cantonment]] in Lagos, Nigeria. The blast, believed to have been caused by the improper storage of explosives and ammunition, led to a massive fire that spread throughout the area. It resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people and displaced thousands more as buildings were destroyed and debris scattered across neighboring communities. The explosion also caused significant damage to properties and triggered widespread panic in Lagos.
===2012 Lagos Floods===
{{Main|2012 Nigeria floods}}
In the 2012 Nigerian floods, Lagos was heavily affected, with large areas submerged, displacing thousands of people, damaging infrastructure, and highlighting the vulnerability of the state to climate-induced disasters. Lagos is a coastal state with a vast lagoon, making it highly susceptible to flooding, especially during heavy rainfall. The city occasionally experiences severe floods, which have worsened due to poor drainage systems and urbanization. Rising sea levels pose a significant threat, with climate change increasing the risk of devastating floods that could wipe out parts of the city.
===COVID-19 pandemic and End SARS Protests (2020–2021)===
{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria|End SARS}}
[[File:Protesters at the endSARS protest in Lagos, Nigeria 47.jpg|thumb]]
The first confirmed case in [[Nigeria]] was announced on 27 February 2020, when an [[Italians|Italian]] national in [[Lagos]] tested positive for the virus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ncdc.gov.ng/news/227/first-case-of-corona-virus-disease-confirmed-in-nigeria |title=FIRST CASE OF CORONA VIRUS DISEASE CONFIRMED IN NIGERIA |date=28 February 2020 |publisher=[[Nigeria Centre for Disease Control]] |access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/world/africa/nigeria-coronavirus.html |title=Nigeria Responds to First Coronavirus Case in Sub-Saharan Africa |date=28 February 2020 |last1=Maclean |first1=Ruth| last2=Dahir |first2=Abdi Latif |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref> On 9 March 2020, a second case of the virus was reported in [[Ewekoro]], [[Ogun State]], a Nigerian [[Citizenship|citizen]] who came into contact with the Italian national.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/03/09/breaking-nigeria-records-second-case-of-coronavirus|title=Nigeria records second case of Coronavirus|date=9 March 2020|website=[[P.M. News]]|access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-09 |title=UPDATED: Coronavirus: Second case confirmed in Nigeria |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/380886-updated-coronavirus-second-case-confirmed-in-nigeria.html |access-date=2022-04-22 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The End SARS protest in Lagos State was a nationwide movement in October 2020 aimed at ending police brutality, specifically targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit known for its abuse of power. In Lagos, the protests were largely peaceful but escalated on October 20, when [[2020 Lekki shooting|the Lekki Toll Gate shooting occurred]], where security forces fired on unarmed protester. The incident led to widespread outrage, both locally and internationally. The protests resulted in significant social and political impact, raising awareness about police violence and leading to calls for police reforms. However, the violence and destruction that followed caused extensive damage to businesses, infrastructure, and lives, leaving a lasting scar on the state’s economy and social fabric.