Ikotun, Lagos: Area Guide for Renters and Buyers

Ikotun is a large, densely populated residential and trading district on the western Lagos mainland, in Alimosho Local Government Area. It is the headquarters of Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area and is built around the Ikotun roundabout and its market, with Egbe, Idimu, Igando and Ijegun around it. It is one of the more affordable parts of Lagos to rent or buy in, and it suits people whose work is on the western mainland rather than on the Island.

Where is Ikotun, and which LGA is it in?

Ikotun is in Alimosho LGA, the most populous local government in Lagos State. Day-to-day council services come from Ikotun-Igando LCDA, whose secretariat is in Ikotun itself. If you only need the short answer on which side of the lagoon it is on, that is covered in Is Ikotun mainland or island?; this guide is about living there.

The areas around Ikotun are:

• Egbe: joined to Ikotun so closely that the two are usually named together as Ikotun-Egbe.
• Idimu: along the road that leaves the roundabout towards Egbeda and Iyana Ipaja. See the Idimu guide.
• Igando: along the road towards Iyana Iba and Lagos State University. See the Igando guide.
• Ijegun: a lower-cost residential area reached from the Ikotun side.
• Ejigbo and Isolo: on the road that leads out towards Oshodi. See the Ejigbo guide and the Isolo guide.

What is Ikotun like?

Ikotun grew street by street rather than as a planned estate. The housing is a mix of tenement buildings with shared facilities, bungalows, older blocks of flats and a growing number of newer blocks on the inner streets, together with a few small gated estates. The roundabout is the centre of everything: the market spreads out from it, the motor parks load there, and the banks, pharmacies and shops line the roads that meet at it.

• Ikotun market: a large general market for foodstuff, clothing, household goods and building materials that serves much of Alimosho.
• The Synagogue Church of All Nations: in the Ikotun-Egbe area. It draws visitors from across Nigeria and abroad, which supports the guest houses, short-stay apartments and eateries on the surrounding streets.
• Schools, churches and mosques: spread densely through the residential streets, as you would expect in an area with a very large settled population.
• Public hospital: the general hospital for the area is at Igando, a short trip along the Igando road.

Be realistic about services. Public electricity is weak, so most households budget for a generator or an inverter. Most compounds rely on a borehole or a well. Several lower streets hold water after heavy rain, and the condition of inner roads changes from one street to the next.

Indicative annual rents in Ikotun

These are indicative ranges for a full year. Newer blocks with a borehole, prepaid meter, tiled floors and parking sit at the top of each range; older compounds on untarred streets sit at the bottom.

• Self-contain: ₦80,000 – ₦150,000 per annum
• 1-bedroom flat: ₦200,000 – ₦400,000 per annum
• 2-bedroom flat: ₦350,000 – ₦650,000 per annum
• 3-bedroom flat: ₦550,000 – ₦1,000,000 per annum

Landlords usually ask for a year in advance, and the agency fee, legal fee and caution deposit come on top; move-in costs in Nigeria shows how to add these up before you start viewing. To see what is available now, browse properties in Ikotun, 2-bedroom flats for rent in Ikotun and 3-bedroom flats for rent in Ikotun.

Buying a house or land in Ikotun

Ikotun is one of the lower entry points into property ownership in Lagos. Indicatively, 2-bedroom flats sell from about ₦10,000,000–₦25,000,000 and 3-bedroom bungalows from about ₦15,000,000–₦35,000,000. Plots in the wider Ikotun, Egbe and Idimu axis are advertised from about ₦3,000,000–₦12,000,000, depending on size, road access and title. Demand from tenants is steady because so many people live and trade here, which is what attracts small landlords.

Title is the main risk. Estate sections may carry a Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy, while much of the older land is family land sold on receipts and a survey plan. Have a lawyer search the title before you pay anything, and read how to verify a C of O in Lagos first. Current listings are on houses for sale in Ikotun.

Getting around from Ikotun

Every route starts from the roundabout, and three roads matter most:

• Towards Isolo and Oshodi: the Ikotun-Egbe road runs through Ejigbo to Isolo, and on to Oshodi and the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. This is the way most residents travel to the rest of Lagos.
• Towards Igando and LASU: the Igando road leads to Igando and on to Iyana Iba, where Lagos State University and the Lagos-Badagry Expressway are.
• Towards Idimu and Egbeda: the Idimu road leads north to Egbeda and Iyana Ipaja, where it meets the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

Public transport is constant: minibuses and larger buses load at the roundabout for Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja, Igando and Iyana Iba, and tricycles and motorcycles work the inner streets. The roundabout itself is the bottleneck, and the Ejigbo and Isolo stretch is slow in the morning and evening. Travel the route to your workplace at the hour you would normally leave before you commit to a tenancy.

Who Ikotun suits

• Traders and business owners tied to Ikotun market or the wider Alimosho trading network
• Workers based in Isolo, Ejigbo, Oshodi, Igando or around Lagos State University
• Families who want more rooms for their money than the central mainland allows
• First-time buyers and small landlords looking for a low entry price and steady tenant demand
• Operators of guest houses and short-stay apartments serving visitors to the Ikotun-Egbe area

It is a hard fit for anyone who must be on Lagos Island or the Lekki corridor every morning. If that is you, compare the options in Lagos mainland vs island before choosing on rent alone.

What to check before renting or buying in Ikotun

• Flooding: visit after rain, look at the gutters and the level of the ground floor, and ask neighbours how the street behaves in July and September.
• Power: ask whether the flat has its own prepaid meter and what the supply is actually like on that street.
• Water: confirm the borehole works, who pays to pump, and whether the water needs treatment.
• Access road: check the last stretch from the main road to the gate, especially if you own a car.
• Who you are paying: confirm the landlord's identity and the agent's authority before money changes hands, and insist on a written agreement and receipts.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Browse the Ikotun area guide, the Igando area guide and properties in Alimosho. Related guides: Alimosho location guide, Iyana Ipaja area guide, Abule Egba area guide, Oshodi area guide and renting a house in Lagos. Have a property here? List your property on Cabans.