Ogunlana Drive, Surulere: Street Guide

Ogunlana Drive is a busy commercial and residential road in central Surulere, in Surulere Local Government Area on the Lagos mainland. It is on the Masha side of the district and is part of the link between the Lawanson and Itire Road side of Surulere and the shopping streets around Adeniran Ogunsanya Street and Bode Thomas Street. Eateries, banks, schools and shops line the road, and the streets behind it hold flats and family houses. Rents sit in the middle to upper part of the Surulere range.

Where Ogunlana Drive is

Surulere is the long-established middle-class heart of the Lagos mainland, and its commercial life is concentrated on a handful of streets in the centre of the district. Ogunlana Drive is one of them. It runs through the Masha part of Surulere, and from it residents reach Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, the main shopping street, and Bode Thomas Street a little further on. In the other direction it leads towards Lawanson and Itire Road, and beyond them to Aguda and Ijeshatedo on the western side of the district.

The whole of this part of Lagos is under Surulere Local Government Area. The district as a whole, including its sub-areas and how they compare, is covered in the Surulere area guide, and its position in the city is explained in is Surulere mainland or island?

What is on Ogunlana Drive

The road is best known for food. Fast-food chains, bakeries, local restaurants and small eateries are spread along it, and they draw people from across Surulere in the evenings and at weekends. Around them are bank branches, private nursery, primary and secondary schools, pharmacies, supermarkets, salons, fashion and phone shops, and small offices. Most of these businesses occupy converted houses or the ground floors of residential buildings, with a smaller number of purpose-built plazas.

The residential streets begin directly behind the frontage. They hold the housing types that are typical of central Surulere: older detached and semi-detached family houses, many of them still owner-occupied, blocks of 2 and 3-bedroom flats of various ages, and a growing number of new apartment blocks built where an old house has been pulled down. Rooms and mini-flats are found in the older compounds.

What property is like, and what it costs

There are no dependable rent figures for Ogunlana Drive alone, so use the indicative annual ranges for the district:

• Surulere 2-bedroom flat: ₦700,000 – ₦1,800,000 per annum
• Surulere 3-bedroom flat: ₦1,200,000 – ₦2,800,000 per annum

The Ogunlana Drive area sits in the middle to upper part of those ranges. It is central, it is close to the main shopping street, and it has schools, banks and food within walking distance, all of which keep demand steady. The top of the range is reached by renovated or newly built flats on quiet side streets with parking, a borehole, a prepaid meter and backup power. Older walk-up blocks with shared compounds and limited parking sit lower, as do flats that face the road and take its noise. The western side of the district, around Aguda, Itire and Ijeshatedo, is generally cheaper than the centre.

Shops and offices on the frontage are a separate market, priced by visibility and footfall. Landlords in Surulere normally ask for at least a year in advance, with agency and legal fees on top.

To see what is available now, browse 2-bedroom flats for rent in Surulere, 3-bedroom flats for rent in Surulere or all properties in Surulere.

Getting around from Ogunlana Drive

Minibuses, tricycles and ride-hailing cars are easy to find on the road, and they connect it with Ojuelegba, Lawanson, Masha and the Adeniran Ogunsanya shopping area. Surulere as a whole is one of the closest mainland districts to Lagos Island, which is a large part of its appeal to people who work there. The road is busy for most of the day: school runs, roadside parking outside the eateries and delivery vehicles all slow it, and the junctions at either end queue at peak hours. Parts of Surulere hold water after heavy rain, so inspect the drains on the exact street you are considering.

Who Ogunlana Drive suits

• Families who want schools, banks and shopping close to home in an established mainland district
• Professionals who work on Lagos Island or in central Lagos and want a shorter trip than the outer mainland allows
• Food businesses, schools, clinics and retailers that depend on steady local footfall
• Investors replacing old houses on the side streets with blocks of flats

Anyone who wants an estate with controlled access will not find it here; central Surulere is open-street housing. Renters looking for a lower rent in the same local government should compare Aguda.

What to check before you rent or buy

• Frontage or side street: visit in the evening, when the eateries are busiest, to judge noise and parking.
• School-run traffic: if a school is on the street, see it at drop-off and pick-up time.
• Water and power: ask about the borehole, the prepaid meter and any shared generator.
• Drainage: inspect the street and the compound after rain.
• Title, for a purchase: many houses here are old family property; have a solicitor confirm who can sell and search the title at the Lagos State Lands Registry.

Have a flat, house or shop here to let or sell? List your property on Cabans.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Ogunlana Drive?

Ogunlana Drive is in central Surulere, in Surulere Local Government Area on the Lagos mainland. It is on the Masha side of the district and forms part of the link between the Lawanson and Itire Road side of Surulere and the shopping streets around Adeniran Ogunsanya Street and Bode Thomas Street.

Which local government is Ogunlana Drive under?

Ogunlana Drive is under Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Is Ogunlana Drive residential or commercial?

It is mixed. The road itself carries eateries and fast-food outlets, bank branches, schools, pharmacies, supermarkets, salons and small offices, while the streets and closes off it are mostly residential, with blocks of flats and older family houses.

How much is rent around Ogunlana Drive, Surulere?

There are no dependable figures for the road alone. Indicative annual rents in Surulere are about ₦700,000–₦1,800,000 for a 2-bedroom flat and ₦1,200,000–₦2,800,000 for a 3-bedroom flat. The Ogunlana Drive area sits in the middle to upper part of those ranges because it is central and well served.

Is Ogunlana Drive on the mainland or the island?

It is on the mainland. Surulere is one of the central mainland districts of Lagos, and it is among the closest of them to Lagos Island.

Is Ogunlana Drive a good place to live?

It suits people who want a central Surulere address with food, banks, schools and transport close by. The trade-offs are daytime traffic on the road, roadside parking and noise for homes on the frontage, so most renters look on the side streets.

Related guides

Browse the area on Cabans: Surulere area page, properties in Surulere. Related street guides: Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Bode Thomas Street, Surulere. Related area guides: Surulere area guide, Aguda, Surulere. For every district on this side of the city, see areas in Lagos Mainland.