Editing Lagos State (section)

===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.