Infrastructure Equity: Bwala Clarifies, Says Lagos Not No Man’s Land

FOLLOWING the backlash that occasioned his alleged comment on a television programme on Wednesday, September 3, that Lagos State is unique because it is a no man’s land; hence it has so far received more than a fair share of federal infrastructure, Special Adviser for Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has clarified that “culturally, historically and constitutionally, Lagos belongs to the Yoruba people, and that has never been in contention.”
Bwala was earlier quoted as saying that the over N2.9trillion spent on infrastructure in Lagos State, which distinguishes it from other states, was primarily because Lagos is a “no man’s land.”
He reportedly recalled that the president, who hails from the Southwest, did not win Lagos State, highlighting its cosmopolitan nature, and that were it not for the fact that the majority of the people in Lagos State speak Yoruba, one might wonder if the state is truly in the Southwest.
He added that like New York, Paris and London, Lagos serves as the commercial nerve centre of the economy and requires extensive infrastructure to enhance its economic growth.
However, due to harsh reactions to his comment, the presidential aide, later in the day, stressed: “The unique identity of Lagos as a Yoruba homeland is settled and beyond dispute.
“What I emphasised was the special place Lagos occupies in Nigeria and indeed West Africa, a city that, much like New York, Paris or London, serves as the commercial nerve centre of our economy.
“Lagos provides every Nigerian, regardless of origin, a level playing field to thrive, and in this sense, it mirrors the diversity of our nation, while remaining firmly rooted in Yoruba heritage.
“My argument was, therefore, and justifiably so, for massive investments in infrastructure to sustain the economic and social responsibilities Lagos has shouldered on behalf of Nigeria.
“Any President who truly seeks to succeed must critically support Lagos, not because it is “no man’s land,” but because it is the heartbeat of the nation’s development.”