The renaming of streets in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State has sparked controversy among residents and officials in the Ajegunle community.
- The council released an official statement titled “Street Renaming: 24 Names Changed in the Ajegunle Community”, detailing the changes. The changes include renaming 24 streets after prominent individuals.
- The public notice, signed by the Council Manager, said several street names had been officially revoked and replaced with new ones.
- For example, Uzor Street is now Kalejaiye Adeboye Street, Imo Eze Street is now Layiwola Oluwa Street, and Mba Street is now Sanwo-Olu Road.
- George Street has become Daddy Showkey Street, in honour of the famous Ajegunle-born musician.
Residents say they were not consulted
Some residents have criticised the decision, saying they were not consulted, and others have raised concerns that many Igbo names were replaced.
- Mr. Agu, who has lived on the former Uzor Street for 40 years, expressed frustration. “We were not informed or consulted about the renaming,” he said.
- Residents also worry about the cost and confusion of updating addresses on documents, property titles and business records.
Council defends the decision
The council secretary, Jumor Lukman, said the affected streets had not met administrative requirements for decades.
- He explained that when a street is named after a person, there are obligations to the local government, including documentation and periodic validation of the name. According to him, many streets had not complied with this process for over 40 years.
- He dismissed claims that the exercise targeted streets with Igbo names. He pointed out that Daddy Showkey, who is not Yoruba, also had a street named after him.
