"Poverty in these communities is so real
that you can touch it." 

Otunba Bola Adewunmi


Ago-Ajo »
Moba Village »
Moba Sea Beach »
Taffi Hausa »
Taffi Awori »
Taffi Sea Beach »
Irewe »
Igbo Oja Nla »
Igbo Oja Kekere »
Petepete »

 

Ago-Ajo

Ago-Ajo has a biblical origin meaning ‘the Tabernacle’ (a place of shelter for the Ark of Covenant) in English. The tabernacle, in the times of Moses, served the dual purpose of being the place for making offerings and supplication to God as well as being the “community centre” where the Israelites gathered whenever God wanted to talk to them through Moses during their journey to the promised land of Canaan. It was the precursor of the Synagogue and the Temple, and our present day churches. The area presently known as Ago-Ajo was formally known as ‘Eti Oko Erin’(By the Forest of Elephants). It was uninhabitable until the arrival of Snr. Evang. Bola Adewunmi (the Founder, fondly referred to as Baba Ago-Ajo) in 1976 at a friend’s invitation.

Ago-Ajo is a village situated in the west of Badagry. It is bordered by the lagoon and the mainland of Badagry. It has a population of approximately 50 people. The area is very poor. The advent of a Celestial Church has brought a significant improvement in the religious outlook of the people, especially among the young ones. Ago-Ajo possesses very fertile land hence most of its residents are farmers engaging in cultivation of cassava, beans and maize. One can find delicious mangoes, pineapples, coconuts and African apples growing freely. The peaceful and serene atmosphere in the village with local beats from Ago-Ajo’s charming church creates a feeling of tranquility and calmness.

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Moba

Moba Village & Moba Sea Beach

The village of Moba is a calm village with palm trees and a long stretch of beach land; it is a coastal village between the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean in the west of Badagry. It has a Badagry Creek-front and the Bight of Benin Sea-front. It has a population of approximately 300 people. The Moba village is both a fishing and an agricultural community. The agricultural products are: coconut, cassava, beans, maize and grass reads used in making sleeping mats. There is no market or market structure. The migration of men to the mainland accounts for the prevalence of women at Moba Lagoon, the majority are either very young or elderly. The Moba Sea Beach community has a predominantly male population. Basic infrastructure is non-existent. The inhabitants of these Moba communities are very poor. The Moba Primary School has 210 pupils from Moba and other neighbouring villages. Classes run from 8am to 2pm. The lagoon side inhabitants are Muslims and the ocean side inhabitants are Christians. They live together in wonderful harmony, celebrating their festivals and holidays together.

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Taffi Communities

Hausa, Awori & Sea Beach

 

These little communities along the Badagry Creek are majorly fishing communities. Combined, these predominantly male communities have a population of about 250 native inhabitants. Most of the youths have left these areas in favour of the lustres, the hustling and bustling of the cities. This is not surprising as there are no industries or other economically viable business visible. Consequently,

L.A. Nursery and Primary School was commissioned in 2007. It has about 118 students, 4 teachers and 6 assistant teachers on the school’s record. The school’s structure was reduced to 4 classrooms when the budget intended for 6 classrooms turned insufficient to enable a complete structure (the foundation for the uncompleted section is still visible). As a result of this, there are 2 class levels within a classroom.

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Irewe

Irewe is an Awori Town about sixteen {16} kilometres South West of Ojo. Irewe is situated on the Island of one of the Badagry Creeks. From east to west, Osolu-land is about 40 kilometres, bounded in the east by Ikare town and in the West by Iwori town. There are thirty-seven {37} towns and villages settled by Yorubas of various kinds, Eguns and Hausas. There are thirteen {13} shore settlements of Ketas who came from Gold Coast [Now Ghana} 1922, they are expert sea-fishermen.

Founded by Edinni in the 16th Century. the place known as Irewe meaning “A PLACE OF FORTUNE”.

Irewe people are mostly farmers and fishermen. The women are mat weavers and petty traders. Their main agricultural products are coconuts. There are very large coconut plantations belonging to individual farmers on Osolu land.

There is a Primary School established in 1941 known as Native Authority Primary School, and also a secondary school established in 1980 known and called Osolu Community High School.

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Igbo Oja Communities

Nla & Kekere

The community of Igbo Oja is located in Ojo Local Government Council in Lagos State, Nigeria. The inhabitants of the community are the Ghanaians and the Aworis (Lagosians). It is claimed that Igbo Oja as a whole comprises of 4 Awori villages and about 4 Ghanaian communities. The affairs of the Igbo Oja communities are overseen by a traditional ruler (Baale), Chief Adele Jimoh. The population here is estimated to be around 240 people. Like most other island communities, the inhabitants of Igbo Oja are majorly fishermen, farmers (Coconut and Cassava) and traders.

As is popular within these areas, the community is void of social amenities like light, good water, etc. The most prominent infrastructure here is the generator powered boreholes. Unlike the neighbouring communities, Igbo Oja cannot boast of solar power. The other is the presence of a missionary school, St. Francis Catholic Nursery and Primary School.

St. Francis Catholic Nursery and Primary School is a privately owned school and unlike most schools found in other communities has a reasonably well taken care of building that accommodates children from within and outside the Igbo Oja Communities. The community people are satisfied with the quality of education offered here.

There is no secondary school within Igbo Oja. Consequently the children go to either the Model College at Ajido on the mainland or the Osolu Community secondary school at Irewe should they wish to continue their education. These high schools are situated a good distance away and the pupils usually stay on as borders as the cost of transportation is about N300/day.

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