ITA-FAJI: THE WOMAN WHOSE NAME BECAME A LANDMARK
Every day, thousands of people pass through Ita-Faji.
They know the market.
They know the traffic.
They know the noise and the hustle.
But how many know the woman behind the name?
Her name was Fajimilola.
Historical research identifies Fajimilola as an Ogu woman from Maun/Mahun who came to Lagos Island during the early 18th century, around the period associated with the reign of Oba Akinsemoyin.
Around 1730, she established a small trading centre in front of her residence, selling agricultural produce from her farmland.
That small trading point grew.
And as more traders and buyers gathered around it, the area became associated with her name—Ita-Fajimilola, referring to the area in front of Fajimilola’s residence.
With time, the name became shortened to the Ita-Faji we know today.
What began as a modest trading point eventually developed into one of the important traditional markets of Lagos Island.
Foodstuffs, agricultural products, herbs and other commodities were traded there. Over time, the market became particularly associated with the meat trade, a character it still retains today.
But Fajimilola’s story goes beyond commerce.
Historical accounts describe her as a woman of considerable influence in the Lagos of her time, with connections to traditional medicine, spirituality and the wider social life of the community.
Think about that for a moment.
Nearly three centuries later, her name is still being spoken every day.
The streets around Ita-Faji—Massey Street, Isale Gangan Street, Atiko Street, Ipaye Street, Apatira Street and Evans Street—form part of a neighbourhood whose roots reach deep into the history of Lagos Island.
Ita-Faji therefore did not begin as the busy commercial centre we see today.
It began with a woman, a piece of land and a small trading point.
Then Lagos grew.
The market grew with it.
And the woman’s name remained.
So the next time you hear Ita-Faji, don’t think of it on
