The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described Lagos State as a “no-man’s land” and the pride of Nigeria’s economy.
Bwala, who spoke on the Daybreak programme on Arise Television on Wednesday, argued that the concentration of federal projects in Lagos should not be seen as favouritism but as investment in the country’s commercial hub.
He said, “Let me tell you why Lagos State is different. Lagos State is a no-man’s land. In the last election, the President who comes from the South-West did not win Lagos. That tells you the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State.
“The richest man in Africa is a northerner. His business is not in Kano, it’s in Lagos. Almost every rich man that you know in Nigeria has business undertaking in Lagos and the Nigerian people are represented in Lagos.
“If not because probably the majority of the people are Yoruba speaking, you will wonder whether Lagos indeed is from the South-West.”
Comparing Lagos with other global economic centres, he added, “ London has more investment than the entire states in England put together. New York has more infrastructure and investment than the rest of the United States, including California. Paris has more investment.
“So in every country, wherever you find the commercial nerve of that country, you are likely to see the need to put infrastructure in place in order to boost the economy. Whatever Lagos benefits, the country benefits.”
Bwala insisted that the N3.9 trillion worth of federal projects reportedly allocated to Lagos in two years was justifiable, stressing that Lagos remained Nigeria’s hub of commerce and a beacon of economic growth.
“So the idea that you put more in Lagos than in other states or the federation should be put into a proper context. Lagos is a no-man’s land. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria. Lagoss is the pride of the country,” Bwala stated.
The debate over who truly owns Lagos has been a recurring flashpoint in Nigeria’s politics and ethnic relations. While the Awori are widely regarded as the earliest settlers, others, including the Benin, have also laid historical claims to the city.
The controversy resurfaced in recent years, especially during elections. The issue has often flared up along Yoruba-Igbo lines.
Campaigns such as the #IgbomustGo trend, which urged Igbo residents to leave Lagos, drew widespread condemnation from the state government, pan-Yoruba group Afenifere, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, who warned that such rhetoric was divisive and dangerous.