Iga Idunganran is the Official Residence of the Oba of Lagos, situated on Lagos Island.^[1][2][3] It is also a tourist attraction.^{[citation needed]}

Dating back to the 15th century, the Lagos Island was originally owned by the island's first inhabitant Chief Aromire, an Ile-Ife nobleman, who used it as a fishing post and pepper farm.^[4] The ancient palace was initially built in 1670 for Oba Gabaro (1669-1760).^[5] It was later refurbished by the Portuguese, with materials — especially tiles — brought in from Portugal.^[6]

The modern part of the complex was completed and commissioned on 1 October 1960 by the Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.^[7] Recently modernized by the Obas Adeniji Adele II and Adeyinka Oyekan II, it underwent additional modernization in 2007 and 2008 by the present Oba, Akiolu, in conjunction with the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Museum.^[8]

Iga Idunganran has served as an administration centre, the island's market and the venue of the Eyo festival.^[9]

IGA, derived from the Oyo/Ife Yoruba language GAA meaning Royal Home or Palace, IDUN means land, place or sound of while IGANRAN is the Yoruba word for pepper. Iga Idunganran therefore translates to "the palace built on a pepper farm", Aromire having used the land previously as his farm.^[10][11][12]

All the Obas of Lagos before Oba Akitoye are buried in Benin City. Oba Akitoye was the first Oba of Lagos to be buried within the modern palace. All subsequent Obas except Sanusi Olusi and Kosoko are buried at Iga Idunganran.^[7][13]

A number of shrines to the orishas exist in the palace. These include:

Special rites and prayers are performed every sixteen days in the palace, usually by the Araba of Lagos, Chief Ajanaku, though the Oba does on occasion use other traditional priests and priestesses depending on the priority and the occasion, and the perceived spiritual prowess of such people. Some of the items necessary for performing these rituals are bitter kola, kola-nuts, alligator pepper, palm oil, schnapps or any plain gin, chickens, pigeons, goats or rams and anything else the Ifa oracle may decree, short of a human life.

In the aftermath of the 2020 End SARS protests, Iga Idungaran was looted and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu accused the looters of carting away $2m and ₦17m from his palace.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}

• Presidential Lodge, former presidential palace in Lagos

• Nigerians Abroad
• History of Lagos