The Paradoxes of a Life in Ajegunle

Despite the pervasive crime and hardship, Ajegunle has also inspired numerous celebrated figures in sports, music, and entertainment, demonstrating the unyielding spirit of its residents. 

I grew up and still live in Ajegunle, one of the largest slums in Lagos State, Nigeria. The name, ironically, means ‘wealth has landed here’ in Yoruba. Ajegunle has a population of over 500,000 people and is bordered by two major seaports—Apapa Port and the Tin Can Island Port. Despite being sandwiched between the most important shipping hubs in Lagos, Ajegunle is infamous for being a hotbed for cultism, theft, and other violent crimes. Nonetheless the town has produced renowned figures in sports, music, and entertainment—with the likes of Don Jazzy, Odion Ighalo, Taribo West, African China and Daddy Showkey, who all credit their upbringing in Ajegunle for shaping their lives. I came of age in this paradox of a town, though in relative seclusion, knowing little about the world around me. I had inherited a palace of grief, and with each passing year, I learnt that in this community, no one was safe; everyone carried within them the familiar memory of loss and of grief. I was around four years old when Eedris AbdulKareem released his third album, Jaga Jaga. The song that gave the album its title encapsulated the transgenerational dysfunction into which I was born...