Lagos State Street Name Shake-up in Eti-Osa Sparks Fresh Debate over Cultural Identity and Governance Transparency

 

Residents of Eti-Osa in Lagos State are waking up to a new street identity this week, as the Local Government Area formally announces the renaming of six roads under its jurisdiction. This development is part of a broader street naming and revalidation exercise the council says aims to align the area’s public infrastructure with cultural relevance and effective civic planning.

The announcement was made via a public notice issued on Friday, bearing the signature of the council manager, Mrs. Oluwakemi Oshun. The notice confirms that the new street names have already taken effect, with a strong appeal to residents, business owners, and the wider public to update all records, directories, and signage accordingly.

However, this change does not exist in a vacuum. Just weeks earlier, Lagos was steeped in heated conversations over a similar decision by the Bariga Local Council Development Area. The renaming of certain landmarks there, most notably the change of the iconic Charly Boy Bus Stop to Olamide Baddo Bus Stop, triggered widespread backlash and calls for transparency in such municipal decisions.

Bariga’s move drew sharp criticism from multiple quarters. Among the most vocal was Femi Falana, a Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who declared the renaming action unconstitutional and questioned the legal process behind it. His sentiments resonated with many citizens who viewed the street naming exercise as lacking public input and driven more by personal glorification than cultural preservation.

Eti-Osa’s leadership appears to be taking a more structured approach, emphasizing that the effort serves broader goals of improving urban navigation, honoring distinguished personalities, and reinforcing community identity.

The council has renamed Tony Amadasun Road in Igbo Efon to Chief Femi Pedro Road, paying homage to the former Lagos State Deputy Governor. In Chevy View, Dr. Udo Wogu Drive will now be known as Chief Adebola Dosunmu Drive, while Augusta Orji Street along Aro Ologolo Road has been rebranded Alhaji Adio Mayegun Street.

In the high-density residential neighborhood of Osapa London, Chike Mba Close will now bear the name Hon. Sikiru Ashorota Close. Elsewhere in Iregbo Efon, Ugochukwu Orji Street is renamed Barr. Wale Sanni Street, and finally, Fubara Dublin Green Street in Igbo Efon is rechristened Rafiu Olukolu Street.

This reshuffling of street names is being positioned by the Eti-Osa Council as part of a long-overdue alignment between historical recognition and modern identity mapping. A senior council official, who asked not to be named, mentioned that many of the previous street names lacked relevance to the area’s social fabric and contributed little to the broader narrative of local history.

“We’re not just changing names for show,” the official stated. “These changes are rooted in a vision of community development where every street carries a legacy or reflects a cultural essence. Our aim is clarity, direction, and respect for the individuals who have made lasting contributions to our state.”

Despite this justification, the announcement is already generating mixed reactions on social media. Some Eti-Osa residents support the council’s initiative, praising the focus on cultural representation and modernization. Others, however, express concern over the lack of consultation and fear that such decisions might be used to promote political allies or personal networks under the guise of civic planning.

Urban planning experts suggest that while renaming exercises are not inherently negative, they must be handled transparently. Dr. Tunde Ajayi, a lecturer in Urban Geography at the University of Lagos, remarked that local councils must ensure that public engagement precedes any renaming activity. “You cannot rewrite geography without input from those who live it daily,” he said. “Civic memory and spatial orientation are deeply personal. They require careful handling.”

As Lagos continues to evolve into a megacity, debates like this highlight the delicate balance between honoring history, maintaining civic order, and respecting the voices of everyday residents. Whether Eti-Osa’s approach will set a more acceptable precedent or provoke further disputes remains to be seen in the coming weeks.

For now, residents of Igbo Efon, Chevy View, Osapa London, and Iregbo Efon have new names to memorize and new addresses to update, ushering in another chapter in Lagos’ complex relationship with identity, memory, and modernization.