Reforming Municipal Laws: Cultural Texts, the Lagos Town Council, and Decolonization in Lagos, Nigeria, 1950–60

On October 18, 1950, Lagosians elected the first African majority to the colonial institution, Lagos Town Council, based on universal adult suffrage. The new election, which produced the city’s first and only black mayor, represented Lagos’ first step towards freedom from British colonial rule. Two years after this historic election, the colonial governor and Nigerian politicians based in the Western Region dissolved the “New Lagos Town Council.” Many scholars have studied the corruption and political conflicts that led to the council’s demise (Baker 1974; Tijani 2004). This presentation counters scholarly preoccupation with the council’s shortcomings to show how Lagosians approached municipal institutions to achieve their everyday needs. Drawing from Yoruba music and Nigerian novels, this presentation will discuss Lagosians’ expectations from the council before and after the 1950 election. In these cultural texts, the authors implored the councilors to undertake tasks such as eliminating burial fees and creating bus stops. Yet many of these requests remained unrealized. Nonetheless, the cultural sources offer insights into the radical reforms debated and envisioned by Lagosians during the era of decolonization.