Lagos stands still, as Alli-Balogun descendants refurbish 100-year-old Wasinmi Mosque
It was a gathering of foremost Lagosians last Sunday, as Hamzat, Fashola, Okunnu, Makanjuola amongst others, gathered to witness the unveiling of the refurbished century-old Wasinmi Mosque first built by
It was a gathering of foremost Lagosians last Sunday, as Hamzat, Fashola, Okunnu, Makanjuola amongst others, gathered to witness the unveiling of the refurbished century-old Wasinmi Mosque first built by legendary Lagos businessman, philanthropist and Islamic devotee, Sheik Makanjuola Alli-Balogun. GBOYEGA ALAKA reports.
Almost a century after his demise, Sheik Makanjuola Alli-Balogun a.k.a Alli-Oloko literally resurrected last Sunday March 8th, 2026 in Lagos. This was courtesy the unveiling of the newly refurbished Alli Balogun Wasinmi Mosque on Nnamdi Azikiwe Street (formerly Victoria Street) Lagos Island, originally built and completed in 1925 by the businessman philanthropist and Islamic devotee.
Famed for his wealth, power and influence, Sheik Makanjuola Alli-Balogun, born in 1830 to a Nupe Prince of Tapa ancestry and an Awori lady of Isale Eko extraction, was an accomplished man of means by the standards of his time. He was also loved, respected and celebrated, so much so that his legend never waned and even today, generations born 93 years after his demise can hear his name and feel his impact. This was why the ‘who is who’ in Lagos showed up that Sunday morning despite the rigours of the ongoing Ramadan fast, when his descendants under the Alli-Balogun Memorial Foundation rallied them to witness the unveiling of the newly refurbished mosque, having mobilised resources and successfully renovated the 101-year-old mosque built by their great progenitor.
A roll call of distinguished guests at the unveiling included eminent lawyer and elder statesman, Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu, SAN; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN; Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Prince Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, representative of the Oba of Lagos/Opeluwa of Lagos, Chief Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose; Great Grand-daughter of Alli-Balogun, Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola; her husband, Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola; and Chief Imam of Lagos State, Fadilatul-Shaikh, Engr. Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abu-Nolla.
Also present were Alhaji Rafiu Adisa Ebiti, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Alhaji Monsur Omokehinde Alli Balogun, and Chairman, Alli-Balogun Descendants Union, Otunba Nurudeen Ojora among others.
Blending functional spaces for prayers with symbolic, artistic and historical elements such as domes, pillars, minarets, and courtyards, the mosque retains its stance as an imposing edifice almost next to the grandiose Lagos Central Mosque, ready to withstand the rigours of another one hundred years.
Notably, it was not the first time the family would be rolling out the drums to celebrate their progenitor. In July 2023, in commemoration of his 90 years remembrance, the descendants launched the ‘Alli-Balogun Memorial Foundation under the umbrella of the Alli-Balogun Dynasty. According to them, the move became imperative so as to continue to honour the legacy of a man whose name has continued to resonate in Lagos and beyond, namely in the areas of education, community service and inter-religious harmony.
Speaking before cutting the tape to declare the refurbished mosque open, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat said: “This is legacy. A house of worship for Muslims to pray in. And as our Imams have always told us, there are few things that you can leave behind which will be your reward after death. This is one of them, may Almighty Allah grant Aljana Firdaus to him and all those that are supporting us today.
“Baba has done his own and I am sure he has gotten the blessings of Almighty Allah. So, it's for those of us that are here now to continue to pray in a good environment. So, we thank Almighty Allah that we are able to gather here today and it reminds us as Muslims that we are at the forefront of great things in this state and we should never forget. We should never forget. And therefore, when you mention Lagos, we should not be behind. We must be at the forefront to say these are the things we have done to foster good relationships. When Mama was talking, she said some of the people that contributed are Christians. In our community, we don't divide ourselves based on religion and may Almighty Allah continue to allow peace to reign in our state.”
Iya Adini of the mosque and a great grand-daughter of the deceased, Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola, who spearheaded the mission, said she was overwhelmed with joy. “It is pleasing to inherit such an edifice. A house of worship. This is a monument. I mean you cannot quantify a building right in the heart of Lagos Island to be 100 years plus and nothing happened to it. When you look around the pillars, the structures that it holds, including the first floor, the minaret, it is fantastically unbelievable. They are still intact. We just changed few things. Initially, we thought it would take us a year or two because of the magnitude of repairs but we were able to do it under one year. This is a historic house of worship that has stood as a beacon of faith and unity for over 100 years. For us as a family, we are very proud to have something that has stood the test of time. 100 years is not a short period and we believe that the edifice will stand for the next 100 years.”
On what inspired the refurbishment, Mrs. Makanjuola, who incidentally married into another prominent Lagos family with Makanjuola, one of her father’s names, as surname, said it is about cherishing one’s heritage. “To carry on the legacy, this is why we are here today and we want to continue. This is 100 years plus now and I put it in my prayer that almighty Allah will let it stand for another 100 years and for upcoming generations.”
Mrs. Makanjuola expressed her gratitude to well-meaning Nigerians who contributed: “To every hand that contributed to the restoration of this mosque through great financial support, skilled labour, wise counsel, or heartfelt joy, we are grateful. We only shut this mosque for just three months.”
Speaking exclusively with The Nation, her hubby, Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola, who is chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG) Plc said: “We thank God that lots of people contributed, even Christians, which is one of the best things that could happen to humanity. We thank God and we should always remember that all we need is to remember God and do good while we are alive, because those are the things that will live after us.”
On whether he didn’t think his wife was embarking on a herculean mission when she first muted the idea of refurbishing the mosque, Mr. Makanjuola said: “Yes I thought so, but lots of people rallied round her and contributed. As a matter of fact, one person contributed 25million naira; and the person is a Christian. When she first saw the alert, she thought it was 25 thousand naira; but when she read it again, she said what! So that encouraged her. Up till yesterday night, people were still donating. So what we’re talking about now is maintenance, and she said they would have a committee to be in charge of that.”
Former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said: “It is not just a mosque; it's not just a building. It's a very, very important piece of the history of Lagos in the pre-colonial era and it should last beyond that just as you have seen buildings last hundreds of years in other parts of the world. Instructive also as the Management Committee and Board of Trustees told us, this was an initiative that was supported not just by Muslims but also by Christians. And if you read the brochure and leaflet you will see the history of Lagos in the colonial era, the pre-independence before the Treaty of Session and the colonial administration's ascension to the government of the Colony of Lagos and so on and so forth. So there are lots of positives, you can see the beauty of the architecture of that time.”
Lawyer and statesman, Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu, SAN, noted that there are lessons to be learnt regarding the event. “I feel great and very happy for the descendants and his great grandchildren who have done this. May Allah reward them abundantly. The lessons learnt here is that what is in your pockets is not yours. Give generously and always assist the poor.”
Senator Gbenga Ashafa congratulated Mrs. Makanjuola for the honour done to one of her forebears. “I congratulate my sister, Mrs. Yoyinsola Makanjuola, for calling all of us to witness this. To the children and grandchildren of Aunty Yoyinsola, you have something coming, and that is remembering Islam when they have long gone by establishing your own stamp too, maybe through this same mosque or through another mosque.”
According to the chairman of Crescent Bearers, Mr. Dele Martins, the event represents a true testament to excellence. “It is indeed a true testament to excellence. You cannot be in here and not have a feel of being in the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, and I think those who designed it were trying in their own little way to replicate that Masjid.”
Otunba Nurudeen Ojora, Chairman Alli-Balogun Descendants Union, echoed the same sentiments by stating: “We're happy. We thank God that we are part of that history now. A hundred years and still counting, this mosque is here. Under the support of our Chairperson, our sister, and the Iyadini, Alhaja Lateefat Yoyinsola Makanjuola.”
A great great-grandson of Sheik Alli-Balogun and Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in Lagos State, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, said the move is about taking charge of God's property which was built by his great-grandfather.
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Another great grand-daughter, Mrs. Lola Ogunbambi, who acts as Secretary of the foundation, added: “We are immensely blessed because the pool of funds that we got was a blessing and then the turnout of dignitaries for the event was overwhelming. You can imagine that Alhaji Okunnu came, at his age. He promised to come and he made it happen. If I look back at my great-great-grandfather, Sheikh Alli-Balogun, one of the ideals that he lived by was religion and community and we got the support of community today...”
Giving thanks to Almighty Allah, Alhaji Rafiu Adisa Ebiti, a member of the foundation, said: “Papa was a very good businessman, very good customer of First Bank. He was a legend and it's a big lesson and we should learn to keep our heritage intact.”
Chief Imam of the Mosque, Alhaji Monsur Omokehinde Alli-Balogun said he was elated as the first descendant to occupy the high office; while another great-grandchild, Mr. Rotimi Makanjuola, said: “It is so wonderful to be here, looking at the legacy that has been preserved, that mum has worked very hard to carry on from her grandfather. It is very impressive, looking at the details. In many areas of Lagos, you find that, unfortunately, historical buildings are simply torn down when they're falling apart and it's so important to imbibe this culture of maintaining our heritage and keeping it for generations to come.”
Imam Shakirudeen Mofesaye, the Mufasir of Lagos Central Mosque delivered a lecture on the importance of Masjid (mosque) as a place of worship and the need to always maintain and keep it holy.
