BEYOND THE RAZZMATAZZ OF LAGOS AT 50

Glitziness, pageantry and vibes are some of the unique features of Lagos State. This is expectedly so, perhaps, because of the position of the state as the entertainment hub of Africa. The vibrancy and vibes of the state came into full expression at the just concluded Lagos @ 50 celebration where the various activities put together to celebrate the golden jubilee of the state created on May 27, 1967 was the centre of attraction throughout the period.

The just concluded roadmap activities for the celebration of the state’s Golden Jubilee started with the simulation of the Three Wise Men of Lagos ‘Agbagba Meta” across the metropolis through several entertaining and educative shows and talks to the May 28 – 29 concerts, featuring new, old and legend musical artists. The concerts came to a climax at the wee hour of May 29 with astonishing fireworks. All these activities have not only created a brand for Lagos but have further drew attention of the international community to the Centre of Excellence and reaffirmed the state’s position as the entertainment hub of the continent.

To a cheeky layman, the celebration was nothing but a show of glamour in line with the ‘Eko for show’ signature of Lagos. But then, beyond the glamour, the golden jubilee celebration presented a golden opportunity to open up, strengthen and cement diverse economic relationships with other states and indeed the world at large.

The governor had said that in the midst of the celebration lies the journey to lay a template that would make the future better than today, adding that important new chapter containing fresh pages of politics, development and renewed economic reengineering in Lagos State begins.

The state has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. The future promises even greater advancement as Lagos works with focus towards becoming a smart city, commercial and industrial hub of sub-Saharan Africa.

At the first census in 1871, the city was home to just over 28,000 people; by 1952, the population stood at over 252,000. In the 1970s, estimates ranged from 600,000 to 1,500,000. These figures are not necessarily accurate, but show the phenomenal growth of the state over the years. Lagos presently has over 20 million residents.

There were no train services in the city; the closest train station was at Ìddó, on the bridgehead to the island. The automobile is thus the best means by which to get to the city. There were no traffic tailbacks, or “go slow” in Nigerian popular language. Commercial vehicles, both buses and taxicabs, were available in reasonable number. Parking spaces were not so difficult to find.

In Lagos of 1960s, the number of private cars increased to 8,800 licensed across the city; between 1970 and 1974, over 42,000 cars were registered. In 1985, nearly 20,000 minibuses, 6,000 midibuses, and 30,000 taxis were estimated to run in metropolitan Lagos. Some high-rising structures present across the state now were nowhere to be found in the 60s. Organised commercial sightseeing tours of the city were rare, yet the island is full of historical sites. A major monument then was the Iga Ìdúngànràn, official residence of the Oba of Lagos on Upper King Street and the Old Secretariat, built in 1906 to house colonial offices.

With what is presently on ground in the state, it is an unarguable that Lagos has actually come of age with arrays of developmental strides littered all across the metropolis. How the state has managed to navigate through all these, considering the daunting pressure put on its infrastructures by its overly and increasing population is a big surprise to many.

While many are so concerned with the financial implication which the celebration might gulp from the government, little attention is paid to the gains of the celebration. To a greater extent, the celebration has succeeded in drawing the attention of international communities to the state more than before. It is gratifying to report that what the state government spent on the anniversary was essentially realised from sponsors who supported the venture.

The boom experience by the economy during this period was another milestone. The economy of the state within this period witnessed significant boost as owners of small and medium scale enterprises recorded reasonable patronage, makers of the Eyo fabrics also experienced sales boom while owners of hotels, guest houses just to mention a few were not left out. Same goes for those in the entertainment industry in Lagos State.

Drawing notes from several criticisms that greeted the decision of the state government to roll out drums to celebrate its 50th anniversary, it will be instructive to say that the celebration apart from boosting the economy, also provided a platform for promoting and preserving the future of Lagos with an articulated look and foray into Lagos in the next 50 years. Ayo Afuwape, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Lagos