The compact waterfront sports stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, the Onikan Arena has been renamed after the first Lagos State Governor, retired Brig. Gen. Mobolaji Johnson who died on October 30.
The renaming was announced on Tuesday by the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a ‘Day of Honour’ event organised to celebrate the exit of the pioneer governor of the state. Mobolaji Johnson became the Governor of Lagos when it was formerly proclaimed a state on May 27, 1967.
Before then, the city had existed first as a Colony of Lagos under the British and later as a federal territory before 1967.
The area is therefore having its sixth name since it was built in 1936 as the Association Ground. At the beginning in 1936, the site was fenced with raffia mats and had two gates.
One was for the important people while the other gate was for the masses. On April 12, 1952, it was renamed as King George V (KGV) to mark the coronation of England monarch. That was the first change of name for the arena.