An Administrative History of Ikorodu, 1894 - 1960

Abstract

The fact that colonialism had an extensive impact on the socio-political and economic systems of African  communities remains incontrovertible. Though different African states had established diverse modes of  traditional political system prior to colonial rule, colonialism introduced the European model of public administration. For example, the British Indirect Rule system, which was premised on administration through  the African leaders and educ ted elites, modified the pre-colonial political structures of some African states. Also, colonialism restructured the pre-existing geographical composition of various African kingdoms. In the light of the foregoing historical interpretations, this study examines the administrative structure of Ikorodu during the colonial era. The paper presents a historical analysis of the administrative machinery, organisational structure, and territorial delimitations of Ikorodu during colonialism. It concludes that colonial rule was a precursor to the administrative structure and geographical demarcation of today’s Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.