Iddo — The Railway Island at the Root of Lagos

Iddo holds a singular place in Lagos's history: it was once a full-fledged island, now joined to the rest of Lagos Mainland through successive land reclamation projects. Its position, immediately adjacent to Lagos Island, made it a strategic crossing point between the mainland and the city's historic core from the very start.

The Cradle of Awori Settlement

According to oral tradition, Iddo was settled by Olofin Ogunfuminire and his followers, whose descendants still own and govern the island today. Under the leadership of the Oloye Olofin, the Awori first settled on this island before expanding further to the larger Lagos Island, making Iddo one of the founding sites of Lagos's urban history, predating even the permanent settlement of the main island.

Nigeria's First Major Railway Terminus

Iddo's modern history is inseparable from the development of Nigeria's railway. The country's first railway line, inaugurated in Lagos in 1898, later extended progressively into northern Nigeria, with Iddo as its symbolic starting point. Lagos Terminus, also known as Lagos Iddo, remained the city's main railway station until 2021, when its role was gradually taken over by the new standard-gauge line infrastructure.

Iddo Market, an Offshoot of the Station

As is often the case in towns built around railway terminals, a market naturally grew up around Iddo station. Today, this market draws buyers from across the region seeking wholesale prices on rice, onions, yams, beans, and many other staple foods.

A District in Transition

With the gradual decline of its historic railway role, Iddo is navigating a period of transition, caught between industrial heritage, a still-thriving market, and prospects for urban redevelopment, amid the broader modernization of Greater Lagos's transport infrastructure.

An Island Absorbed by the City

The land reclamation process that gradually joined Iddo to the rest of Lagos Mainland illustrates a broader pattern seen across Lagos Bay, where several former islands and sandbanks have been folded into the urban fabric over the decades. This geographic transformation continues to shape how planners think about the future of this central but long-overlooked stretch of the metropolis.

Sources: Iddo Island — Wikipedia, Lagos Terminus railway station — Wikipedia

Administrative context

This neighbourhood is part of the Lagos Mainland LGA, which covers 19.62 km² and had 317,720 inhabitants at the 2006 census (2022 estimate: 483,600). These figures cover the whole LGA, not the neighbourhood alone, and the 2006 census is disputed. See the Lagos Mainland LGA page and Wikipedia.