Ilupeju: The Indian Village in Lagos

Nowhere in Lagos seems to have the presence of Indians like Ilupeju. From the stretch that is popularly known as Palmgrove Estate, right down to Coker in the heart of Ilupeju, and the Industrial Estate itself, the presence of Indians has been a way of life for decades on end.

Even the present day Indian residents in Ilupeju are not sure exactly when their settlement in the area began. For instance, Yadavendra Singh Yadav, an Indian engineer resident in Ilupeju said, “I cannot tell exactly when we Indians began to settle in this area, but what I can tell is that there are so many Indians in Ilupeju, from almost two generations right now. There are also others that may be more.’’

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The president of the Indian Cultural Association, Sanjay Jain, who is also a Lagos chief, put the history a little clearer. “Initially, the two industrial areas – Isolo and Ilupeju – housed many big industries, which were in close vicinity of ilupeju. These industries gave employment to lots of Nigerians but few experts. Production of specific items, researchers, textile technocrats and the like came from overseas. It was because of nearness to these industrial estates, where they were working that the area known as Ilupeju became attractive. The Ilupeju estate was conducive as it had good houses with amenities. The neighbourhood was excellent. The Nigerian community also welcomed Indians with great warmth,’’ he said.

Chief Jain, who has lived a stone-throw distance to the residence of the late Chief Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State in Ilupeju, applauded the peaceful nature of the estate.

“Ilupeju is a relatively peaceful area.  There are many other locations in Lagos that are equally peaceful. The credit for Ilupeju remaining peaceful must go to all the residents – Nigerians, Indians and others. But one thing I must mention here is that our Nigerian brethren have accepted Indians, as well as other people in Ilupeju with open arms and great warmth. And we are grateful for that,’’ Chief Jain said.

According to Toyin Aloba, an engineer and resident of Ilupeju, the Indians prefer to live in the estate because it is well laid out and organised. “I grew up in Ilupeju; the Indians have always been a common sight here. And that could also be because of the factories here. A lot of them work in these factories,’’ he said.

Asked if Ilupeju remained neat over the years because of the large population of Indians in the area, Aloba replied, “I would rather say the Indians met it neat, and that was also an attraction for them. Ilupeju enjoys relative security, good network of roads and the presence of aristocratic families.’’

Another Nigerian resident, Monsuru Odemuyiwa, a printer, said, “The mixed Indian and Nigerian cultures has made Ilupeju society more friendly, People have overtime become more sober, neat and maintain cleanliness and orderliness.’’

Sabir Ali, an Indian resident who works as a manager in a shipping company, said Indians “believe in inclusiveness and service to the community we live in. By nature, we are highly environmentally caring; perhaps that is why Ilupeju has an appeal.’’

A landlord in the area, Alhaji Adedayo Amore, said more people in the upper and middle classes of the society settled in Ilupeju in the late 1970s and the 1980s after the construction of the popular Ikorodu road by military governments. He said more people came into the area from the Palmgrove end, which continued to extend further to the Oshodi end.

Mary Ikwe, a tutor and Nigerian resident, said the Indians preferred to live in Ilupeju because of the peaceful and cool environment, noting that they form a larger part of the population in the estate.

“Ilupeju enjoys the presence of most things that make easier lifestyle because there are shopping malls and market place close to residents. There are also eateries, banks and necessary things a community easily needs, like hospitals,’’ Ikwe added.

Social life

Odemuyiwa is of the opinion that Ilupeju residents also enjoy good social life. “Social life is most often at Shodex Garden, Indian Temple, then the get-together the Indians have in one another’s houses. I think that for the Indians, their big plus is having a big temple for all their tribes under one roof in Palmgroove,’’ he said.

Singh, on his part, said most residents of Ilupeju were working and had few time for social activities.

“Ilupeju is surrounded by not only the Indian population but others as well. Mainly, most residents are more of working class. People generally do not have time for other things,’’ he said.

Odemuyiwa added that the presence of Indian schools in the neigbhourhood made the place more attractive for the Indian populace, as well as top retail outlets.

“The Indian school is a big reason all Indians would prefer to stay in Ilupeju. The school made their population to grow. And business people wanted to establish supermarkets in and around Ilupeju because of the growing population of Indians. Top supermarkets and Indian restaurants can be seen at strategic locations,’’ he said.

Daily Trust Saturday learnt that most of the Indians in Ilupeju are in senior management positions in some of the factories there and other parts of Lagos. Some even work on the Island and Ikeja. Few of them work in other parts of Lagos; some in far away Sango and Otta in Ogun State. They can be found in professions like engineering, teaching, information technology, among others.

Yadavendra Singh Yadav, another Indian who works as an engineer in a petroleum company confirmed this thus, “Not all Indians who stay in Ilupeju have their workplaces there. Some of us stay there and work in Victoria Island, Lekki, Sango, Ikeja, and so on.”

On the lifestyle of the Indians in Ilupeju over the years and what has kept them together, Chief Jain said, “India is a diverse country. People follow religions of their choices. We have people who go to church, some go to mosque, while others attend other temples. Yes, since people work on weekdays, it is very prevalent for Indians also to go to their places of choice on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The Indian Temple is unique to us; and it serves the average Indian’s need of faith. The temple is open for all. Anybody can visit there and pray to achieve their peace of mind. Apart from it, the temple management is also doing lots of charitable works for needy Nigerians.’’

“Our Indian brothers and sisters from other parts of Lagos and even outside visit us in Ilupeju. All Indians freely move from one area and location to another to meet their friends. This is quite normal. It happens like that, particularly on weekends when traffic is less. Such activities take place freely.’’

He continued, “Indian festivals are now famous, worldwide. They are extremely colourful and spread joy, not only amongst Indians but all the tribes and humans of the world. We have Diwali, which is a festival of lights, Holi, a festival of colours, Navratri, a festival where we please our goddess by presenting a particular form of dance (Garba), amongst many others. So we have festivals throughout the year. All these festivals are extremely interesting, colourful and please everyone.

“The Indian Cultural Association, which is the apex body of Indians in Nigeria, celebrates many such festivals in this country too. We also invite our Nigerian brothers and sisters to enjoy with us.

“During Holi, at our centre in Ilupeju, community people gather and play with colours. People come, meet and greet one another. The Indian Cultural Association organises food for all the participants. Apart from the colours, snacks, soft drinks, award for the most colourful person and so on, are also organised to increase the vibrancy of the event. This normally falls in March. We also invite our Nigerian brothers and sisters, as well as artists to perform at this festival.

“Also, August 15 is our Independence Day. On that day, community people gather and witness the flag hoisting ceremony at our centre. India got independence on August 15, 1947 and the day is celebrated every year.’’

Yadavendra Yadav sums it up, “Staying in Ilupeju has so many attractions. First, the place is called Indian Village because things needed by Indian families are easily available – temple, schools, supermarkets, restaurants – and all Indian communities are here. As an Indian, you can stay with families and easily find friends here.

Also, Indian culture is the same as Nigerian.

The Indians in Ilupeju do not just settle there, over the years they give back to the society through activities that encourage good interaction with their host community.

In this regard, Sabir Ali, an Indian, said, “As a way of giving back to the society, we intentionally take up service projects in the community. We did a more recent one last year. During the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown, we provided sanitation kits and facemasks to the police.

“When we celebrated ‘Raksha Bandhan,’ an Indian festival, we tied a thread of friendship with all policemen and spent a day with them with yoga and a motivational session on stress management. We also supplied sufficient food items to our police friends in Ilupeju station.

“Sanitation kits and food items were also distributed among the frontline Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) workforce. Indians from Ilupeju also contributed to the patrolling vehicle repair for the police station in the community.

“Currently, we have two major projects in progress. First, we gave our contribution to the renovation of Ilupeju police station. We have a letter of collaboration already received from the police and we are motivated to support the cause of renovation. We are also involved in children’s park development, with play equipment in Olatunda Ashimowu Park, here in Ilupeju.’’

On what the Indians in Ilupeju want from the Nigerian government, Chief Jain said, “The government is doing great here, and we feel satisfied with their work. But as they say, there is scope of improvement everywhere. We will always support their good work.’’

Sabir Ali added, “Ilupeju can do better with more good hospitals and internal roads, especially around the Palmgrove end.’’

Mary Ikwe, the Nigerian resident in the estate, also said she would like the government to improve on security. “The government can help Ilupeju to be better by removing some bad influences around the area and provide more security,’’ she said.

Also, Toyin Aloba said, “The government can help Ilupeju by enforcing environmental regulations on parking, sanitation, building limits, and so on. The Indians are peaceful and seldom cause trouble. Having Indian shopping stores is also an advantage.’’

“Ilupeju can better be secured, and there could be a bigger playground,’’ Odemuyiwa also said.

On how Nigerian residents feel about Indians in the neighbourhood, Ikwe said, “It is very nice and helpful to have Indians as neighbours. They are humanitarian in nature, so it is not surprising that they are found in service organisations like the Rotary and Lions clubs.”

Mrs Olawunmi Adepoju also said, “We don’t have a problem with them. They mind their business. They can be very colourful during their programmes. But, of course they make rents in the neighnourhood high. Some landlords prefer the Indians to rent their houses. They are neat people.’’

Odemuyiwa added, “They are very supportive. I know this because I have worked with some of them. They are usually ready to help and support. My interactions with them have given me an opportunity to know Indian culture and tradition.’’

On Indian celebrations, Ikwe said, “I have witnessed some of their celebrations, such as Diwali and Eid. It was very colorful.”

Aloba also said, “Their celebrations are usually colourful, with sounds and music.’’

Odemuyiwa, the printer added, “In any of their festive seasons like Eid, Bakrid, Diwali, Ganpati, Durga Pooja, Dandia and so on, the whole of Ilupeju looks fabulous, more charming and mixed up.’’