Giving Lagos a special status

LAGOS is presently experiencing such phenomenal population explosion that it is being projected to be the third largest megacity in the world by 2015.

Many are of the view that despite the 10 million figure declared by the National Population Commission in the last census exercise, the city’s best possible population is 40 million. Whereas the annual population growth in the developing world is three per cent and Nigeria’s is 2.7 per cent, that of Lagos stands at a stunning eight per cent and is likely to accelerate.

The state’s landmass is rather small by Nigerian standard (Kano State which officially has about the same population is about four times in landmass). As if to aggravate the situation, a considerable part of the metropolis is covered by water, a situation that complicates its infrastructural needs.

The Lagos transformation project needs an enormous financial requirement, far beyond the capacity of the state government. Governor Babatunde Fashola recently revealed that a sum of N6.14 trillion is needed to build and upgrade infrastructural facilities in the state in the next 15 years! This, then, is the significance of the call for the state to be accorded a special status by the Federal Government.

Lagos, with over 128,000 workers (representing various ethnic groups) in its employment, apart from the Federal Government, remains the greatest employer of labour in the country. Ironically, many of the states in the country with lesser population and infrastructural needs receive same monthly federal allocation as Lagos.

The special position of Lagos as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, and indeed West Africa, has its peculiar infrastructural challenges. Its sheer human density driven by an increasing population due to endless survival and economic driven immigration, its ports and waterways, its border with Benin Republic, its high concentration of banks, industries, companies, and other commercial enterprises makes it a very complex state to govern.

Being the pane through which the whole world views the country, granting a special status to Lagos remains the best possible way to drive Nigeria’s development as Lagos is the country’s most industrialised city with needs that align with its growth.

No nation grows by treating the needs of its golden geese with discomfiture since the future growth of the country’s economy is tied to the development of Lagos which hosts over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s industrial hub, over 65 per cent of its financial nucleus and over 75 per cent of its active workforce.

With each day, the population and needs of Lagos continue to increase to reflect this important role. As the economic capital of Nigeria, Lagos has been the first port of call for eager millions of youths from all parts of the country who long for means of survival from the uncertainties of a struggling economy like ours.

Presently, it is obvious that the monthly allocation it receives from the Federation Account as well as its internally generated revenue is not enough to meet the developmental needs of the state. Regrettably, the Federal Government’s inability to discharge its infrastructural responsibilities to Lagos, over the years, has further worsened the situation.

The National Assembly Complex at Tafawa Balewa Square, the National Stadium, Surulere, the Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi and the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, to mention just a few, laid credence to this.

When the FCT was moved from Lagos to Abuja, there was a subsisting agreement that the city would not be abandoned. Indeed, the late General Murtala Mohammed acknowledged the onerous nature of the responsibility of leaving Lagos alone to deal with the burden of infrastructure the FG were leaving behind then, bearing in mind that if Lagos hadn’t been the federal capital, it probably would not have been having these problems.

In fact, five cities; Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Kaduna and Lagos were later designated as ‘Centres of Excellence’ by the Murtala Administration as part of a plan to make them cities of pride by the Federal Government.

However, successive Federal Governments have refused to take a cue from countries which relocated their national capitals without abandoning infrastructural development of the former capitals. It is now time for Nigeria to imitate Germany, Brazil, Malaysia, Australia and Tanzania, which, after relocating their capitals, did not hold back developmental programmes targeted at the former capitals.

From 1954 to 1994, the capital of Germany was Bonn. It was moved to Berlin, following the endorsement of the ‘agreement of movement’ which spelt out the responsibilities of German government for the maintenance of the old capital and which it has been meeting conscientiously. Also, Brazil moved its capital from Rio-de’janero to Brasilia. Till date, all federal roads, buildings and other infrastructure in both cities are maintained simultaneously by the central government. Malaysia has also maintained two capitals.

Its old capital, Kaura-Lampur, has been retained as the legislative capital, where the National Assembly operates. Its new capital, Putrajaya, which is the most computerized city in the world, is the administrative capital. In Australia, the old capital, Sidney, still enjoys special recognition. Although Campera is the new capital, most activities of government, international conferences, party conventions and meetings still hold in the former capital city.

The former capital of Tanzania is Dar-es-Salam. When Dodoma became the new capital, the old capital did not suffer neglect. The Federal Government should take a cue from these examples by according Lagos a deserving special status.

The Lagos State government, in the last 12 years, has invested a huge amount of money on infrastructural development, especially construction of drainages, durable roads, beautification and restoration of parks to forestall the negative impact of flooding, erosion and other environmental hazards.

However, these efforts are not enough for obvious reasons. Today, Lagos handles about 9,000 metric tons of refuse daily, more than what the whole of Ghana is generating. The branch networks that some banks have in Lagos outstrip what they have in the whole country. A recent study reveals that over 25,000 people from across the world move into Lagos for various reasons on a daily basis.

The need to accord a special status for Lagos is a non-political project. An investment in Lagos is a necessary blueprint for the development of the country.

Mr. TAYO OGUNBIYI works with the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa., Lagos.