If you have traveled round Nigeria you will see there are states doing far better than Lagos state. Crosscheck mortality rate at birth, life expectancy, poverty rate, housing, jobs, standard of life in Lagos with other places before taking your position. Being indebted is not a bad deal but when you are highly indebted, progress will shrink. At that point, you will be working for the lenders to service your debts.
Currently, life expectancy in Lagos is hinged at 47, and among the cities rated as worst in the world. Lagos is the most highly indebted state in Nigeria while other states beat Lagos state mercilessly in education. Tell us how you came up with a standard that measured Lagos as the best state in Nigeria. Lagos is only thriving as the commercial capital of Nigeria where the seaport, International airport and other Federal infrastructures are currently located.
Again doing better against what base. Check the net migration patterns of human capital. Lagos has the largest number of internal migration. Over 600,000 people per year. Why are they leaving these El Dorado's who mention? Is it because they want worse housing, poor health or inferior education?
And if you are going to use figures please be kind enough to tell us where you got Lagos as having mortality rate of 47% among st men or women? what is the national average? Dont draw figures out of a hat - give the source.
Again your points dont make sense against the population movement. Lagos is the only state undertaking massive game changing infrastructural changes, it is the only place that guarantees merit, cultural and religious tolerance.
I am not even from Lagos, but I know that Lagos is miles ahead of other states. The reason is clear - it has the most diversity. Simple. You cant create opportunity based on ethnic purity.
3. Tanker Femi • a day ago • edited
You are educated enough to know that people migrate to Lagos because of FG presence such as International airport, the seaport, and other FG infrastructures. If not, many Nigerians will never step into Lagos during their lifetime.
Lagos is currently saturated with no proper plans for expansion. For your information, criteria in measuring best cities and towns has to do with standard of living. It has nothing to do with tall buildings or population. In Lagos, one can spend 5 good hours in a supposedly journey of 20 mins. Beside, have you reflected on air pollution, noise pollution, and other things money can't buy in Lagos? You need to travel round Nigeria to see exactly what I am saying. Don't just sit in Lagos and assume other parts of Nigeria are in the dark. It will surprise you when you finally realize that those in Lagos are people in the dark.
In accordance to WHO data, life expectancy in Nigeria hinged at 53.7 for men and 55.4 years for women is the lowest in the West Africa. In Nigeria, Lagos is hinged at 47 years. With whom much is given much is expected. By now, Lagos is supposed to be competing with Dubai and other major cities around the world. Unfortunately, the same Lagos that is currently rated among the 5 worst cities in the world is your pride.
Pathetic!
4. Femi Tanker • 7 hours ago • edited
You are committingthe same error that keeps people locked in interminable post and reply cycles. Its called Polarity. The ability to see only "either or" instead of "and" and is responsible for many of the fruitless discussions that hold all over Nigeria.
Lagos is dirty - Yes, Lagos is unhealthy - let me accept that it is even more unhealthy than PH where people are breathing in visible pollution. Let me even accept that it has the highest mortality rate - it does not.
Having accepted your entire premise for what makes an awful city let me now disagree with this issue of Federal infrastructure. First of all no one comes to a city because it has a port. People, the 600,000 of them that migrate to Lagos every year do so one reason - Hope. Lagos is is the only city in Nigeria that engenders hope that talent can be rewarded.
Take the tech space. It hardly existed five years ago. But today Lagos takes in more start up SA or Kenya. In 2018 Lagos did $306m and increase of 167% on a YoY basis. What does this mean TALENT
Take population. Population is only an albatross when tied to low disposable income. Calculate the GDP of Lagos divide it by the population and you see a better GDP per head than anywhere else. What does this mean - MARKET.
Take the fact that Lagos accepts people from anywhere. Unlike other states where only indigenes can own property or start viable businesses, today no one in Lagos asks where you are from before using or enjoying your products. The result is idea rich ecosystem that cross pollinates for even greater success. What does this mean - QUALITY.
Lagos has achieved what other states and in fact the Federal Government has achieved. A highly productive, highly qualified workforce that is collaborative.
If you want scenery and fresh air - you can zoom off to one of the Lagos numerous beaches and game reserves. You can go to Sofitel at Epe where there is a birdlife sanctuary close by. But if your idea of a great place to life is a slow idyllic life where people can chat over gin at 10 in the morning, leave Lagos out.
And Lagos has only just gotten started. Dangotes refinery will remove an effective $30bn tax from all Nigerians provide enough gas to light up the SW for hundreds of years and create hundreds of thousands of jobs with millions in multiplier benefits. Why did he site it in Lagos and build a completely new port? All the points I highlighted above. Yesterday I was talking to a British born Nigerian who is incidentally from the south south and was excited to learn that he earns 20m naira per month from a unique model tat helps people get low cost access to solar. He is now set to extend these gains to other cities.
Your focus on geography, tribe and people pride is something Lagos has overcome because when I speak of Lagos - I dont speak of yoruba people but that delicious mix of ethnicity that work and live in her.
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