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Taribo West
is just one of the many top footballers to come out of Ajegunle GETTY IMAGES
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Ajegunle is known for
being one of Lagos' toughest, most dangerous slums, but it also has another
reputation - for producing some of Nigeria's top footballers. So what's the
secret to its unlikely success?
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Young boys
have to find safe spaces to play football in Ajegunle
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BBC
Africa Sport continues:
For
a football-obsessed nation like Nigeria, talent can be found in every corner,
but there's definitely something special about Ajegunle, or AJ City, as it's
known by locals.
Since
the early 1990s, Ajegunle has been churning out football talent. Famous names
such as Taribo West, Odion Ighalo, Brown Ideye, Samson Siasia, Obafemi Martins,
Taribo West and Jonathan Akpoborie all started here.
Life
is not easy for many of the residents of this sprawling ghetto.
They
have to contend with high crime rates, as well the absence of running water,
grid-powered electricity or healthcare.
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Nigerian
forward Jonathan Akpoborie made his name in Germany in the 1990s GETTY IMAGES
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So
what are the factors that contribute to Ajegunle's footballing pedigree?
Diversity, for one.
"It's
a community with so many people from different ethnicities," says
Bennedict Ehenemba, a football scout for German clubs who is a native of
Ajegunle.
"Ajegunle
accommodates the Yorubas, the Igbos, the Hausas, the Itsekiris and all the
other tribes in Nigeria.
"It's
a raw talent hub of Nigeria," he tells me.
Many
success stories can be traced back to two local institutions - St Mary's
Catholic Church and the Navy Barracks Camp.
They
remain safe places for many young people to play the game.
Other
open spaces are often claimed by so-called "Area Boys", unruly gangs
who often demand a fee for people to play there.
Super
Eagles striker Jonathan Akpoborie, who made his name in Germany's Bundesliga in
the 1990s, also honed his skills here.
"This
is actually the home of football in Nigeria," Akpoborie tells me, adding
that the game is seen by many youngsters as a route to a better life.
"I
don't want to downgrade the area by attributing the success of footballers to
poverty but there's just nothing to do for the kids.
"They
spend most of their time here playing football and in so doing they develop
themselves and naturally become gifted footballers.
"In
one national team there's always one player who originated from Ajegunle.
"It's
exactly how I started - the grown-ups play first, we watch them play, then
eventually we get in the field. They were inspirational to us."
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Odion
Ighalo - a striker for Chinese club Changchun Yatai FC - grew up in Ajegunle
GETTY IMAGES
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The
slum also has an established system of grassroots football, which encourages
talented youngsters to play competitive football for local clubs at an early
age.
This
often gives them an edge over players at competing academies across the
country.
Alfred
Emuejeraye, who plies his trade in the Swiss lower leagues, also grew up in
Ajegunle.
He
believes the secret of the slum lies in its deep love of the game.
"The
people here, the community are passionate about football, passionate about
everything and are driven to succeed in whatever they do from musicians to taxi
drivers... It's an all-round community," he tells me.
Odion
Ighalo - formerly of Watford FC in the English Premier League but now playing
for Chinese Super League outfit Changchun Yatai FC - is another Ajegunle
native.
Now
he lives in some of the world's biggest cities, but still remembers Ajegunle
fondly.
"It
was very tough growing up there. It's not like in Europe where you have
everything provided.
"You
have to look for money to buy football shoes, jerseys, transport and even water
for to drink after training. If you can't afford the transport then you stay -
and those who stay are great players," says Ighalo.
Bolarinwa
Olajide is a sports reporter with Lagos-based radio station Wazobia. He saw
many of these players emerge from Ajegunle over the years.
"We
see the hopeless, those who know they have a talent but they can't exhibit it
anywhere. They can't afford fees to join a football academy, so they go to
Ajegunle because they know scouts come to watch them play, and it's a chance to
show what they can do as footballers," he tells me.
Leicester
City and Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi did not grow up in Ajegunle but
played against boys from the slum during his time at an academy in Lagos.
He
believes Ajegunle has produced good football players because the boys there
"work hard, the lifestyle is difficult so they try to work very hard and
come out with their best."
To
keep the Ajegunle legacy going, some of the footballers are already giving back
to the community with projects to nurture future talent.
Akpoborie is helping to identify future football talent, while Ighalo is building an orphanage in the heart of the slum.
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