19th April, 2012
Lagos, today the Centre of Excellence and City of Aquatic Splendour, has had its fair share, or perhaps more than a fair share, of the burden of Nigeria’s nationalism and development. Great battles, especially political battles, have been won and lost over time in this city by equally great warriors who fought for either national, regional or even sectional interests. The battle for the independence of Nigeria was fought here and so were the various political battles for control of the country by various political parties.
Located at the tip of the Atlantic Ocean, the City drew to herself all classes of people from across the world who either settled in it as home or as sojourners. With the coming of the Europeans – the Portuguese first, then the British and others – the floodgate was opened for people of all tribes and tongues, cultures and languages, looking for new opportunities and better ways of life. When the British finally consolidated their hold on the conglomerate of nations and called it Nigeria (Niger Area), Lagos was chosen as the capital largely because of its location. It played this role as both Administrative and Economic Capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria until 1991 when the capital was transferred to Abuja.
Since that transfer, Lagos has continued to play the role of Economic Capital of Nigeria. Unfortunately, however, except for this title, Lagos has not benefited much from the contributions it has made, and continues to make, to the economic development of Nigeria. Instead, the benefits have worked in reverse, so to say, in favour of the Federal Government and sometimes to the detriment of the state. Take, for instance the fact that although she plays host to the largest and busiest seaports in Africa and the busiest airport as well as over 60 percent of Nigeria’s industries and manufacturing concerns, with over 50 percent of banking operations in the country located within her territory, according to statistics of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Lagos has hardly benefitted from this. Instead, it has suffered in many ways but especially in terms of infrastructural decay. For example, as Economic Capital, the city has attracted millions of Nigerians and foreigners in the last two or three decades, who have seen her as a land of inexhaustible opportunities. It is currently estimated that no less than 6,000 people come into Lagos everyday to reside permanently. This, of course, has put enormous pressure on existing infrastructure leading to the dilapidation of many and the rapid growth of slums across the state. Roads, bridges and buildings, including those owned by the Federal Government, have suffered the pressure of this increasing population and the wear and tear of overuse has taken its toll on them.
At the last count, there are no less than 44 Federal roads in Lagos today. These consist of both highways and inner city roads including bridges. They service Federal Government facilities and commercial concerns as well as private and corporate organizations including industrial concerns around the state from which the Federal Government makes billions of naira annually. These commercial concerns include the Apapa and Tin-can Island Ports reputed to be the busiest in sub-Saharan Africa and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, also one of the busiest in Africa. Lagos is also home to over 60 percent of the industries in Nigeria. These industries pay their taxes to the Federal Government but use the infrastructure provided by the state government. Such infrastructure include roads, both Federal and State-owned, bridges, parking lots, waterways, health facilities and so on. At the inception of the present administration in 2007, Lagos State Government had spent over N6 billion to rehabilitate and reconstruct these roads.
Of particular mention are the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos – Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams-Ijora – Apapa Expressway, Agege Motor Road, Third Mainland Bridge and Ikorodu Road through which heavy-duty trucks and articulated vehicles freight goods from the Apapa and Tin-can Island ports to destinations within and outside the state. These vehicles cause considerable damage to the roads some of which are perennially flooded as a result. From 2007 to date, the Lagos State Government had to intervene several times to make the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway motorable. This is aside the fact that in the last four and a half years, the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has completed 250,000km of roads across the state, in addition to over 500,000km of roads at different stages of completion. Considering the torpography of Lagos State, there is no gainsaying that the construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state come at enormous costs. And as a result of overuse, there is more wear and tear on the state’s roads than in any other state of the Federation.
Of equal importance is the issue of housing for the thousands of industrial workers, including those working in Federal Government establishments in the state. Before 1999, the influx of people from across the country and beyond had put enormous pressure on existing accommodation in the state leading to the emergence of satellite towns and slums across the state. The State Government has, since 1999 provided a platform for the building of houses across the state through direct investment and in partnership with the Private Sector. One of such platforms is the Cooperative Home Ownership Incentive Scheme (CHOIS), otherwise known as Lagos CHOIS LP, a Public Private Sector initiative aimed at providing quality and affordable houses for high, middle and low income earners while at the same time creating new business opportunities for the private sector. It has also established Mortgage Scheme and Micro-Finance Scheme to enable all classes of people own businesses and houses. The government has also intervened in the rehabilitation and redevelopment of blighted areas across the state, providing drainages, roads, electricity and other infrastructure and public utilities to make them livable. Aside the infrastructure and facilities that service Federal Government institutions and revenue yielding projects, the Lagos State Government has embarked on projects that are intended to support this city for the next 25 years when the population is expected to hit 40 million. Such projects include Eko Atlantic City, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos International Airport and Sea Port at Lekki and the seven rail lines – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, Brown and Orange lines –already being developed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) aimed at boosting the transportation system in the state. Also, as a way to boost movement through water transportation in the state, the government has created the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to commence the operation of ferries from modern ferry terminals across the state. It is noteworthy that the truth of all these is that this city will continue to grow in population and advance its position as the economic capital of not only Nigeria but the West African Sub-Region. This is because aside its location, the people-oriented policies enunciated by subsequent administrations in the state make it inevitable. Such policies include those in Education, Healthcare, Housing, Environment, Tourism, Energy, Commerce and Industry and Infrastructural Renewal among others. As a result of these policies, jobs are being created, people are being empowered and the health of the populace is being enhanced on a continuous basis.It is very obvious that Lagos is today the preferred investors’ destination.
Lagos has provided and is still providing a benchmark for development in the country and this is already rubbing off on several other states of the Federation and even beyond the borders of Nigeria. What is happening with Lagos is not new in the world today. The City of New York in the United States of America, for example, serves as the Economic Capital of the country while Washington DC serves as Administrative Capital. New York is home to the Headquarters of the World Bank and the IMF. It is regarded as the financial headquarters of the world. With Federal Government collaboration, Lagos can attain that status not only for the West African Sub-region but the whole of the African Continent.
LAST LINE
What Lagos needs now is a special status as the Economic Capital of Nigeria with special annual development budget to enable her continue the many infrastructure renewal and development projects, both already on-going and still on the drawing board. In the last 12 years, Lagos has drawn world attention to the transformational possibilities in the country. She has placed Nigeria back on the world map of global emerging markets. All these wereachieved through self-help. With Federal Government collaboration through the grant of a special status, Nigeria will undoubtedly attain not only the status of Africa’s Economic Capital but also achieve her Vision of being one of the 20 strongest economies in the world in 2020.
•Durugbo is Personal Assistant (Print Media) to Governor of Lagos State