Lagos is the largest city of the West-African country of Nigeria, and its former capital; it is the third largest city in Africa in terms of population with about 15.3 million people. It is also the 4th largest economy in Africa.
Historical names
Lagos means "lakes" in Portuguese, the language of the first Europeans to arrive at the land already inhabited by the Awori who are a sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba people. To the Awori, the area was initially known as "Oko" or "Eko". The Portuguese would refer to it as "Onim" and later "Lagos".
To differentiate the modern settlement from the older kingdom in the area, the name "Onim" has been applied to the latter by some historians such as Toby Green.
Beginnings
Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people in the 15th century and Binis in the 16th century. The Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island. Their ruler Olofin divided the island among his ten sons. One of them, Aromire, planted pepper on the nearby island of Lagos. The palace of the Oba (king) of the Yoruba, Iga Idunganran, which was later built on this site, is therefore literally translated as "pepper farm palace".
During a dispute between Olofin and a wealthy woman named Aina, the Oba of Benin tried to mediate in these affairs of Iddo Island. The Oba sent envoys to comply with Aina's request to investigate the dispute. The men, who arrived in a canoe, believed the fishing paraphernalia on the shore to be signs of readiness for war from a distance. When they returned to the Oba, they told him of their findings and he sent them back to the battle with military support, accepting a challenge. Aseru, a war chief who was part of these reinforcements, stayed behind on the island of Iddo after the defeat and capture of Olofin. He went on to war against other neighbouring towns and got as far as Iseri, where he eventually died. A certain Asipa then brought his body back to Benin. For his deed, the Oba rewarded him by appointing him ruler of Iddo Island. Asipa was also given the royal drum (Gbedu), which is beaten by the Obas of Lagos to this day. His son Ado became the first king of Lagos and his lineage continues the line of the Obas of Lagos to this day.
Arrival of Europeans
In 1472, Portuguese explorers arrived, and began to trade, eventually followed by other Europeans. Lagos (Portuguese for "lakes") was a name given to the settlement by the Portuguese. Throughout history, it was home to a number of warring ethnic Yoruba groups who had settled in the area. Following its early settlement by the Awori nobility, the state first came to the attention of the Portuguese in the 15th century.
Portuguese explorer Rui de Sequeira visited the area in 1472, naming the area around the city Lago de Curamo, which means Lake of Curamo. It's also probable that the city was named after the homonymous coastal town of Lagos, Portugal, in the Algarve region, where sailors and settlers would have departed.
The area fell under the domain of Benin in the 16th century. By 1600, it served as a frontier town, and Benin limited its local presence to soldiers led by four military commanders. This military presence as well as the exchange with European traders resulted in economic growth, as locals would travel along the coast and from further inland to Lagos Island for trade; at this point, clothes were the main item sold at and exported from the island as well as Benin as a whole.
In the 17th century, the trade with the Portuguese also began to increase, as Onim became a center of the Atlantic slave trade. The local obas (kings) developed good relations with the Portuguese.
By the early 19th century, it was a small kingdom and a tributary to the Oyo Empire. Like many West African states, Onim developed strong diplomatic as well as economic links to South America. It sent embassies to the Portuguese colony of Brazil, and became one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Brazil in 1823. Meanwhile, the Oyo Empire had begun to collapse. This allowed Lagos to assume the leading economic position regionally, becoming the most important market in the Yoruba territories as well as growing substantially.