The area now known as Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island once served as the Lagos Race Course, a prominent public ground that reflected important aspects of colonial administration and leisure. The site played an evolving role from the nineteenth century through the mid twentieth century and later became a symbol of post independence national identity.
Origins of the Race Course
The documented origins of the Race Course can be traced to 1859 when Oba Dosunmu granted the land to British colonial authorities for public use. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it developed into an extensive open field used for official functions, civic gatherings and public activities. Its position on Lagos Island made it visible and central within the colonial capital.
Equestrian Activity and the Use of Open Grounds
The Race Course was used for horse racing events during the colonial period. Surviving photographs and historical records confirm that horses and spectators gathered at the site for organised meetings. These events followed the wider pattern of British colonial leisure in Africa where open grounds served both recreational and ceremonial purposes.
While the specific administrative structures of Lagos racing meetings are not thoroughly documented, the presence of organised equestrian events is clearly supported through visual archives and colonial era accounts. The Race Course therefore served as a multipurpose venue where leisure intersected with the civic character of colonial Lagos.
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The Lagos Polo Club and the Development of Mounted Sport
The Lagos Polo Club was established in 1904 by British naval officers and is the oldest polo institution in Nigeria. Its founding provides the earliest documented introduction of polo to Lagos. Located in Ikoyi, the club grew into a social and sporting centre for expatriates and members of Lagos’s elite.
The survival of the Lagos Polo Club into the present day offers a direct line from early twentieth century mounted sport to contemporary Lagos. Though horse racing at the former Race Course eventually ceased, polo continued to operate and remains a significant equestrian tradition in the city.
Ceremonial and Public Functions of the Race Course
Beyond sport, the Race Course served as an important ceremonial location during colonial rule. It hosted parades, civic events and official commemorations. Open grounds such as this were common features in British colonial cities where authority, public visibility and civic symbolism merged within a single urban space.
The Race Course therefore held dual importance. It provided leisure activities and also functioned as a platform for official events that shaped public life. This duality positioned the site as a recognised landmark of colonial Lagos.
The 1958 Photograph and Its Historical Value
A photograph dated to 1958 shows horses rounding a bend at the Lagos Race Course with spectators gathered along the track. Although the specific name of the event is not recorded in surviving sources, the image offers clear visual evidence of racing activity during the late colonial period. It illustrates the organised nature of horse racing in Lagos and stands as an important visual record of how the Race Course functioned before Nigeria’s independence.
Transformation into Tafawa Balewa Square
After independence in 1960 the role of the Race Course changed significantly. The land was redeveloped and formally inaugurated in 1972 as Tafawa Balewa Square, named after Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister. The new square became a national ceremonial ground used for parades, state functions and public celebrations.
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This transition marked a symbolic redefinition of the space. What had once served colonial civic needs became a centre of post independence identity and national expression.
Continuity and Legacy
Although horse racing no longer features in Lagos at the former Race Course site, the Lagos Polo Club continues to be an active institution. Its longevity highlights the adaptability of certain colonial era organisations within post independence Nigeria. Together, the history of the Lagos Race Course and the continued operation of the Lagos Polo Club provide insight into the layered social and cultural transformations that shaped Lagos from the nineteenth century to the modern era.
Author’s Note
The story of the Lagos Race Course reveals how one urban space shaped public life across different eras. It served as a ceremonial ground, a sporting venue and a symbol of authority during the colonial period. Its transformation into Tafawa Balewa Square reflects the broader shift from colonial power structures to national identity after independence. The enduring presence of the Lagos Polo Club reminds us that some traditions adapted and survived, allowing aspects of Lagos’s early equestrian culture to continue into the present. This history offers a clear view of how public spaces can evolve while still retaining echoes of their past.
References
Tafawa Balewa Square historical records
Lagos Polo Club historical archives
British Empire and Commonwealth photographic collections
Nigerian Federal Government archival materials on the redevelopment of Tafawa Balewa Square
