Welcome! This public history site focuses on history of Lagos, one map at a time. Start with the story of the SHORELINE, then dig deeper to ALAKORO ISLAND. Or did you know we had a TRAIN along the Marina? Or that the British Navy BOMBED LAGOS in 1851?
Come back for frequent updates. This site is run by Dr. Ademide Adelusi-Adeluyi, a historian of Lagos. Contact her via email
Lagos island's coastline has been through dramatic changes since the 1850s. This series on the history of the coastline looks to the hidden and long forgotten parts of the island: Alakoro Island and Ẹlẹgbata Creek in the west, and the large lagoons of the northeast: Isalẹgangan and Idumagbo.
Evidence of Lagos's old shores can be found in historical maps; and ArcGIS can help us find the past beneath the present city. Follow the links below to find out what lies beneath contemporary Lagos.
William Lawson's maps of Lagos from 1885 shows Alakoro as a floating island, but in reality, it was a low lying part of the city, covered by swampy terrain. But by 1908, it was gone...
For a few years, Lagosians could depend on regular tram service to get them conveniently between Ereko and faji markets, or even from the post office to PWD stores. What happened?
