Alausa, Ikeja: Area Guide for Renters and Buyers

Alausa is the government district of Ikeja, in Ikeja Local Government Area on the Lagos mainland. The Lagos State Secretariat, the Governor's Office and the Lagos State House of Assembly are here, together with Ikeja City Mall on Obafemi Awolowo Way and a large cluster of company offices. It is mainly a place of work, but it has a few residential pockets and apartment blocks, where a 2-bedroom flat in Alausa indicatively rents for about ₦1,200,000–₦2,200,000 a year. It suits people who want to live within minutes of the secretariat and central Ikeja.

Where is Alausa, and which LGA is it in?

Alausa is in Ikeja LGA, in the northern part of Ikeja, close to the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Obafemi Awolowo Way is its main road, and the central business district laid out around the secretariat is often called Alausa CBD. Around it are:

• Agidingbi: offices, light industry and residential streets along Lateef Jakande Road. See the Agidingbi guide.
• Oregun: the industrial and commercial district along Kudirat Abiola Way towards Ojota. See the Oregun guide.
• Central Ikeja: Allen Avenue, Opebi and Computer Village, reached along Obafemi Awolowo Way. See Allen Avenue and Opebi Road.
• Ogba: the larger, more affordable residential district beyond Agidingbi. See the Ogba area guide.

Alausa is on the mainland, like the rest of Ikeja; Is Ikeja mainland or island? explains how Ikeja relates to Lagos Island.

What is Alausa like?

On a weekday, Alausa is full of civil servants, contractors, lawyers, visitors to government offices and shoppers at the mall. The roads are wide and better kept than in most of Lagos, and the buildings are mostly secretariat blocks, office complexes, banks and hotels. In the evening and at weekends the offices empty and the district becomes quiet, apart from the mall and the restaurants around it.

• Ikeja City Mall: one of the main shopping centres on the mainland, with a supermarket, a cinema, restaurants and shops.
• Government offices: most Lagos State ministries and agencies are in or around the secretariat, which is what brings people to Alausa to do business and to work.
• Open space: Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park, a public park, is beside the secretariat.
• Homes: the residential pockets include MKO Abiola Gardens, an estate at the edge of the district, the streets towards Agidingbi, and a small number of apartment blocks and serviced flats.
• Power and water: supply is better than in most of the mainland, but blocks still run generators or inverters and rely on boreholes.

Because it is the seat of government, Alausa is also where protests and public events take place. Roads around the secretariat are sometimes closed or slowed on those days.

Indicative annual rents in Alausa

These are indicative ranges for a full year. There is little stock, so expect few vacancies at any one time and firm asking prices.

• 2-bedroom flat: ₦1,200,000 – ₦2,200,000 per annum
• 3-bedroom flat: ₦2,000,000 – ₦4,000,000 per annum
• Serviced 3-bedroom flat in the best blocks: ₦3,500,000 – ₦7,000,000 per annum

Serviced flats carry a service charge on top. Landlords generally ask for a year in advance, plus agency fee, legal fee and a caution deposit, so work out the full figure with move-in costs in Nigeria. Browse flats for rent in Alausa, houses for rent in Ikeja and 2-bedroom flats for rent in Ikeja. Alausa is also a natural base for business visitors; see short lets in Ikeja. If nothing suitable is available, most people who work here look next at Agidingbi, Oregun and Ogba.

Buying property in Alausa

Very little residential property comes up for sale in Alausa. Most of the land belongs to the state government or is held for offices and commercial use, and the market is dominated by office space. Homes that do come up are houses in the estates and units in apartment blocks, and they are priced at the upper end of the Ikeja market outside Ikeja GRA. Buyers who want to own near Alausa usually end up comparing Agidingbi, Oregun, Ogba and Omole as well.

Titles here are generally well documented, often as state allocations, but still have a lawyer search the title at the Lagos State Lands Bureau and confirm the approved use of the plot. Start with how to verify a C of O in Lagos and buying a house in Lagos, and browse properties in Ikeja.

Getting around from Alausa

Alausa is one of the best-connected points on the mainland. Obafemi Awolowo Way links it to central Ikeja, Allen Avenue and the Ikeja bus terminal. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is close by: one way leads to Berger and out of Lagos, the other to the Ojota interchange for Ikorodu Road and the route through Ogudu to the Third Mainland Bridge and the Island. Kudirat Abiola Way runs through Oregun to Ojota, and Lateef Jakande Road runs through Agidingbi towards Ogba. Minibuses, tricycles, staff buses and ride-hailing serve all of these, and the domestic and international airports are also in Ikeja.

Traffic is heavy at the Alausa junctions when the offices open and close. If you will commute from here to the Island, travel the route at your normal hour before signing.

Who Alausa suits

• Senior civil servants, political office holders and their staff
• Contractors, lawyers and consultants whose work is with the state government
• Professionals in the offices of Alausa, Agidingbi and Oregun who want to live minutes from work
• Frequent flyers and business visitors who need central Ikeja and the airports
• Investors in serviced and short-stay apartments

Renters on a tighter budget get much the same location from Ogba or Oregun. To compare more widely, see areas on the Lagos mainland.

What to check before renting or buying in Alausa

• What is actually in Alausa: some adverts use the name for flats that are really in Agidingbi, Oregun or Ogba. Ask for the street.
• Service charge: confirm what it covers, the generator hours and how diesel is billed.
• Access on event days: ask residents how road closures around the secretariat affect the street.
• Parking: check the number of spaces per flat and the rules for visitors.
• Use of the building: if neighbouring houses have become offices, expect daytime traffic and quiet nights.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Browse the Ikeja area guide, the Agidingbi area guide, the Oregun area guide and properties in Ikeja. Related guides: Agidingbi, Oregun, Ogba area guide, Ikeja GRA, Adeniyi Jones Avenue and renting a house in Lagos. Own a flat or house here? List your property on Cabans.