Ilojo Bar

Ilojo Bar, also called Olaiya House or Casa da Fernandez, was a Brazilian-styled historic building located near Tinubu Square in Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria.[1][2] It was originally built as a bar and restaurant in 1855 by the Fernandez family who employed returning ex-slaves who had mastered the art of building while in South America.[3] Ilojo Bar was subsequently sold to Alfred Omolana Olaiya of the Olaiya family in 1933 and was declared a national monument in 1956 by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.[4]

Ilojo Bar & Restaurant
Ilojo Bar is located in Lagos
Ilojo Bar
Location within Lagos
General information
Architectural styleAfro-Brazilian Architecture
LocationLagos Island, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
Coordinates6°27′14″N 3°23′24″E
Completed1855
Demolished11 September 2016
Technical details
MaterialBurnt Bricks
a service advert on a 1939 publication of Daily Times of Nigeria

The name "Ilojo Bar"

After the house was sold to Alfred Omolona Olaiya in 1933, he renamed the building "Ilojo Bar" after his hometown of "Ilojo" in Ijesa Isu, Ekiti State.[5][6]

Demolition

The building was pulled down on Sunday, 11 September 2016, in suspicious circumstances during the Eid weekend in Lagos.[7][8] The matter is still being investigated. The land is now under the control of the Lagos State Government.[9][10][11]

References
  1. Hakeem B. Harunah (2000). Nigeria's defunct slave ports: their cultural legacies and touristic value. First Academic Publishers. ISBN 978-978-34902-3-9.
  2. Edvige Jean-François; Chris Giles (19 July 2017). "Lagos' Afro-Brazilian architecture faces down the bulldozers". Cable News Network. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  3. Alex Ikechukwu Okpoko; Pat Uche Okpoko (2002). Tourism in Nigeria. Afro-Orbis Publications. ISBN 978-978-35253-8-2.
  4. Udemma Chukwuma (22 October 2014). "'Bring Ilojo Bar back to life'". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  5. "A Tragedy of Confusing Interests". ktravula - a travelogue!. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  6. Nigeria, Guardian (26 September 2016). "Legacy protests against demolition of 161-year-old 'Olaiya House'". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  7. "161-year-old Ilojo Bar demolished - The Nation Nigeria". 13 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  8. "A Failure All Around". ktravula - a travelogue!. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  9. "Update on the Demolition of Ilojo Bar". 18 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  10. Joseph Jibueze (28 September 2016). "Why Ilojo bar was demolished, by family". The Nation. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  11. Sunday Onen (28 September 2016). "Africa: 161 year old Monument "Ilojo Bar" Demolished in Lagos". ATQ News. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
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