Long before Lagos became a megacity of glass towers and expressways, its lagoons, creeks, and forested stretches were home to the Awori people, a distinct sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba whose presence shaped the foundations of what is now Nigeria’s commercial capital. Today, debates over ownership, origin, and identity still swirl around Lagos history, but few dispute the depth of the Awori footprint across the state.
Who the Awori Are
The Awori are a Yoruba sub-group with a recognizable dialect and shared cultural heritage. Traditionally, they are found in two Nigerian states: Lagos and Ogun. Their migration and settlement patterns place them among the earliest Yoruba groups to establish permanent communities along the coastal and lagoon areas of the southwest.
Scholars and historians commonly divide Awori settlements into two broad phases: the early Awori and the latter Awori groups. Early settlements included Otta, Ado-Odo, Isheri, Otto-Awori, Iddo, Ebute Metta, Apa, and Ibereko, communities that later became critical nodes in Lagos’ expansion.
Awori and the Making of Lagos
Awori history is inseparable from the story of Lagos itself. Many historians regard the Awori as the earliest dominant indigenous group in Lagos, predating later political influences from the Benin Kingdom. In an interview with The Punch, the late Nigerian lawyer and elder statesman, Lateef Olufemi Okunnu, described the Awori as the original inhabitants of Lagos State, noting that they settled in the area roughly 500 years ago, long before the Bini incursion.
Awori political organization in early Lagos revolved around the Idejo chiefs, powerful land-holding families who governed vast territories and enforced customs that protected communal land ownership. According to Awori-born legal practitioner and former Ondo State commissioner, Sola Ebiseni, these systems ensured both possession and expansion of Awori lands across key parts of Lagos.
Where the Awori Live in Lagos
Historically, significant Awori populations spread across what later became Lagos Island, the Mainland, and coastal districts. Notable Awori communities include Apapa, Ajegunle, Makoko, Iwaya, Ikeja, Bariga, Oko Baba, Oto, Ebute-Metta, Oyingbo, Ijora, Igbo Elejo, Ojo, and Aloro Island off the Kirikiri coast, Oshodi-Isolo, Egbeda, Mushin. Others include Ajah, Badore, Iton Agan, Oworonsoki, Agboyi, Bayeku, and surrounding lagoon settlements.
Awori people constituted the bulk of the indigenous population in sixteen of Lagos State’s twenty local government areas.
Only Epe, Ikorodu, and Ibeju-Lekki were identified as having minimal Awori presence. Across these areas, the Awori established multiple kingdoms and chiefdoms that continue to influence local traditional structures.
Contested Narratives and Modern Debates
Despite extensive historical claims, Awori indigeneity has not gone unchallenged. In 2017, Erelu Kuti of Lagos, Abiola Dosunmu, sparked controversy by arguing that Lagos was originally an extension of the Benin Kingdom and that the Awori were not the first “owners” of the land. She claimed that Awori settlers initially paid royalties to the Oba of Benin.
Her position was publicly disputed by the Oba of Lagos, who acknowledged Benin’s role in Lagos’ political evolution but rejected the idea that Benin owned the territory. The debate highlighted how Lagos history sits at the crossroads of migration, conquest, and cultural exchange rather than a single, linear narrative.
Aworiland and the Question of Representation
In more recent political discussions, the Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria (AWAN) has advocated for increased local government representation rather than the creation of new states. During debates over a proposed Lagoon State, AWAN argued that further state creation could deepen minority marginalization without adequate consultation.
Communities identified as Aworiland in that proposal included Apapa, Iganmu, Somolu, Bariga, Akoka, Eti-Okun, Iwerekun, Kosofe, Agboyi, Ketu, Obalende/Ikoyi, Iru–Victoria Island, Eti-Osa East, West and Central, Etikun, Alimosho, Ibeshe, and Majidun, revealing how deeply Awori territories are woven into modern Lagos.
Beyond Lagos: The Ogun Connection
Outside Lagos, Awori communities in Ogun State are concentrated in the Ogun West Senatorial District, covering about 37 percent of the state’s landmass and roughly 31 percent of its population. This continuity across state lines reflects older boundaries drawn by migration and kinship, not colonial maps.
From lagoon settlements to mainland towns, the Awori story is etched into Lagos geography. Understanding their territories offers more than a lesson in history; it provides a clearer lens through which to view ongoing conversations about identity, land, and belonging in Nigeria’s most complex city.
