My Lagos, Your Lagos, Our Lagos

By Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo

Lagos is not just a city. It is Nigeria in microcosm — an urban miracle built not on oil wells or political favoritism, but on vision, hard work, sacrifice, and inclusiveness.

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) issues this statement to reassert the indispensable role of Lagos in the Nigerian federation and to correct misguided narratives suggesting the state enjoys disproportionate attention or unmerited privilege from the federal government.

Lagos: The Engine Room of the Federation

No other state in Nigeria bears more of the weight of national productivity than Lagos. It contributes:
• Over 20% of Nigeria’s GDP
• Approximately 55% of the nation’s VAT revenue
• 65% of corporate headquarters in the country
• 70% of maritime imports and logistics activity

These are not speculative figures — they are hard data, backed by facts and sustained by deliberate governance, not federal indulgence.

A True National Capital in Spirit

Long after Abuja took over as the official capital, Lagos has remained Nigeria’s de facto capital of commerce, culture, and continuity. It is where Nigeria meets itself — in its beauty, its complexity, and its ambition.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Lagos’ unique ability to welcome all Nigerians as full participants in the Lagos story, regardless of state of origin, language, faith, or political affiliation.

Lagos: The Retirement Home of the Nation’s Statesmen

Indeed, Lagos is not just where Nigerians come to start their dreams — it is where many come to retire in peace.

From retired heads of service to former governors, ministers, generals, diplomats, and captains of industry, Lagos has quietly become the retirement capital of Nigeria. These distinguished men and women, many of whom built their careers elsewhere, return to Lagos for one reason: it feels like home.

In no other state would public servants from other regions live, thrive, and be respected in such large numbers — without fear, without prejudice, and with full access to the fruits of society.

That alone speaks volumes about Lagos’ character, maturity, and national appeal and essence.

The Toll of Being Everyone’s Home

However, this open-armed embrace comes with tremendous pressure. As a megacity with a population of over 22 million, Lagos bears the weight of:

Infrastructure Overload
• Road networks, bridges, drainage, and transportation are under constant strain, requiring continuous reinvestment — often funded internally.

Healthcare Demand
• Public hospitals serve not just Lagosians, but hundreds of thousands of health seekers from other states, stretching resources and staff.

Educational Stress
• Public schools absorb the children of internal migrants daily, necessitating constant expansion, teacher recruitment, and infrastructural upgrades.

Environmental Pressure
• Lagos battles coastal erosion, waste management, and urban pollution— made worse by unregulated population growth and migration.

Security & Policing
• As a magnet for opportunity, Lagos must also confront crime, urban conflict, and overstretched policing — often with state-funded security innovations, like the Lagos Security Trust Fund.

Housing Deficit
• Lagos continues to build and incentivize housing, but population growth continues to outpace supply, driving up costs and informal settlements.

Social Welfare
• The state delivers extensive support to the unemployed, the elderly, widows, artisans and the underserved, many of whom are not originally from Lagos.

And yet, despite these enormous pressures, Lagos remains functional, progressive, peaceful, and growing.

Lagos Has Earned Its Place — Not Inherited It

It is laughable, if not unfortunate, to suggest that Lagos is over-pampered by the federal government. In 2024, Lagos received just ₦531.1 billion in federal allocation — about 3.48% of the total shared from the federation account, even though it generates over 55% of VAT and more than a third of the country’s non-oil revenue.

What Lagos has earned is not privilege — but respect.

Let Lagos Be Applauded, Not Attacked

Lagos is not a regional city. It is a national asset, a federating hub, and a home to all Nigerians, whether as traders in Alaba, executives in Ikoyi, artists in Yaba, or retirees in Lekki.

This is My Lagos. Your Lagos. Our Lagos.

To those who envy its rise or resent its recognition, we offer an invitation: come and learn. Replicate the Lagos model. Compete in policy, not propaganda.

But above all, tell the truth:

Lagos is not over-pampered. Lagos is overburdened, over-performing, and under-credited.

The Call for a Special Status: A Matter of National Survival

Lagos is not asking for pity. It is asking for recognition and responsibility.

The call for a Special Status for Lagos is neither new nor partisan. It is rooted in logic, in data, and in the national interest. From the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and successive National Assemblies, the need for Lagos to be formally supported as Nigeria’s economic and demographic hub has been widely acknowledged — but not yet acted upon.

Conclusion: A Call to History

Lagos has given much — to Nigeria’s economy, to its unity, to its people. It has carried burdens, absorbed shocks, and provided platforms of opportunity for millions.

We urge the National Assembly to rise above regional politics and partisan considerations, and do what is right, what is fair, and what is overdue:

To finally accord Lagos the Special Status it has earned and long deserved.

Let this generation of lawmakers be remembered as the one that acted with foresight. Let posterity write of a National Assembly that understood not only the needs of now, but the imperatives of the future.

Because in truth:

This is My Lagos. Your Lagos. Our Lagos.
And Nigeria cannot succeed if Lagos is ignored.

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo.
Lagos APC Spokesman
04/09/25.