Ajegunle; Lagos slum which forms part of Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos State. Ajegunle is notorious for features such as houses with rusty iron roofs lining dusty roads, small, snake-like gutters crossing the roads in many places thereby creating small gullies which ensure bumpy rides. The densely populated Ajegunle is a melting point and home to many Nigeria’s ethnic groups like the Ijaws, Itsekiris, Efik, Isoko, Urhobo, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and the Egun. Communication is predominantly in a peculiar brand of pidgin English. Cove means house while crate refers to car. Ajegunle, Mushin, FESTAC Town and Alaba are where many traders of Ladipo Market, one of the biggest auto-spare parts market in the West African sub-region live[i]. Work on the demolition of shanties and houses located along canals and the dredging of the canals in the area are part of government exercise to give the surburb a facelift[ii].
Against all odds, Ajegunle produced people of great distinction especially in sports and music. In the former there were Wilson Oruma and Kanu Nwankwo, and Emmanuel Amuneke. In the latter were Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh and African Chyna. Scouts stake out the popular field within a school in the city where people come to play football with the hope of finding talents like they did when Amuneke, Nigerian Super Eagles player was discovered. The success of the Showkey and Fresh who began their careers in the mid 1990s led to the innovation of a peculiar blend of music called Galala music, danced only with a strange mixture of frantic body gesticulations and steps called Galala dance[iii].
[i] Tell May 3, 2004
[ii] Newswatch July 14, 2008
[iii] Newswatch March 6, 2006
