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Hausa Community in Lagos
The Hausa community in Lagos is one of the oldest and most significant ethnic groups in the city, with a history dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The earliest Hausa settlement in Lagos was called Ago Hausa, established between 1853 and 1900, which eventually evolved into the New Hausa settlement in Obalende. The community also has a long-established presence in Agege, where Hausa traders initially used the area as a trade outpost around 1906 before it became a residential community.
Historically, the Hausa migration to Lagos was encouraged by British colonial policies that promoted legitimate trade and market development. Lagos's wealth and status as a commercial and political hub attracted Hausa merchants and settlers from the North, who integrated into the city's economic and social life. The Hausa in Lagos have created distinct cultural identities while also showing linguistic and cultural assimilation with the Yoruba majority, including intermarriage and language exchange.
Agege is a major center of the Hausa community in Lagos, with a population dominated by Hausa speakers since the late 19th century. The Hausa people in Agege began settling on what was then Awori farmland, developing strong trade relations with the Yoruba people, including buying kola nuts and selling cattle. Over time, the community grew, and they were allotted farmlands by their hosts, though there were socio-economic conflicts causing some confiscations later.
The Hausa have important cultural and religious institutions in Lagos, including central mosques that sometimes face internal leadership challenges reflective of the community's size and complexity. Events like Hausa Day celebrations in Lagos promote Hausa culture and traditions among younger generations.
In summary, the Hausa community in Lagos is a historically entrenched, economically active, and culturally vibrant group primarily concentrated in areas like Obalende and Agege, with a strong legacy of trade, cultural assimilation, and religious presence in the city.