NIGERIA at 60: Towards the land of our dreams
NIGERIA is 60- despite all that shehas been through as a nation. For some, it is a time to hit the street incolorful dresses for a carnival to exhibit what many a critic have described asour proclivity for flamboyance. To others, it is a time to get on our knees,thank The Almighty for bringing us this far as a united nation and, thereafter,reflect on our tortuous journey to adulthood.
How have we fared? Have wedisappointed our forefathers? Are we more purposeful as we were atindependence? Are our youths happy? Are the elders smiling? What is the stateof our infrastructure? Are we proud of our democracy? Is the world leaving usbehind? How long will our teething problems last? When will our security challengesabate? When are we going to fully recover from the terrible effects of COVID-19THAT has dealt our world a lethal blow? These are some of the many questions onmy mind as I reflected on Nigeria’s Diamond Anniversary.
It all began here at the old RaceCourse, Tafawa Balewa Square on that rainy October 1, 1960 morning. Lagosserved as the cradle of our sovereignty and the capital of Nigeria as aprotectorate, then a republic (from 1914 to 1991). The unique topography oflagos - its islands, sandbars and lagoons; our heterogeneous nature as a townthat is the melting pot of cultures – has positioned our state for itsleadership role in the economic, political, social and cultural development ofour great country. What originated as a fishing village on an island hasmetamorphosed into a thriving seaport and megacity.
Lagos is no l onger t he nation’spolitical capital, but it is undoubtedly its business and financialengine-room. Indeed, it is West Africa’s commercial nerve centre. Lagos contributes30% of Nigeria’s GDP and holds no less than 80% of the country’s industrialcapacity. This is quite remarkable, considering the fact that Lagos is home to10% of Nigeria’s 200 million+ population on a landmass representing less than1% of our great Nation.
Realizing early that long-terminvestment in critical infrastructure is an intrinsic part of economicdevelopment, Lagos pioneered many key projects, such as the early rail transitsystem, which yielded a corresponding growth in urbanization along the line ofthe railway on which towns, such as Ebute-metta, Yaba, Surulere, Ijora, Ikejaand Agege, sprouted. We witnessed the population boom of the 1970s as a resultof the growth in the oil industry. This signaled a paradigm shift in our history– a period which opened up our coastal city with the influx of thousands ofpeople seeking greener pastures and jobs in the oil industry as well as theconstruction of a social housing programme. It was the crystallization of anidea that would go on to define the very essence of life in the sprawlingmetropolis – the hot chase for “The Lagos Dream”.
As far back as the 80s, with risingunemployment statistics, we had understood the need to maximize theopportunities inherent in a citystate such as ours by diversifying
theabundant economic potential and harnessing human capital for better growth. Theroad to actualizing this was a dedicated will to develop alternate industriesin agriculture, technology, hospitality and entertainment, among others, aswell as in the informal sector. Our founding vision of a megacity in whichthere are opportunities for all, regardless of race and colour, remainsstrong.
Today, a population of over 21million residents is evidence of the unprecedented rate at which Africa’slargest city is growing. Our urban footprints in the last 60 years provide awindow into the urbanization of Lagos, illustrating a story of the social,economic, environmental and political factors that have reciprocally shaped ourcity. Research suggests that these changes may be nothing compared to what wewill witness in the next 60 years. Maintaining the current growth and migrationrates, Lagos could become the world’s largest metropolis, home to 85 or 100million people.
How are we poised to further steernigeria through the next decades of her independence? We must look to thefoundational pillars which define good governance in any democracy. Ouradministration condensed this to six cardinal indices of development particularto Lagos State, yet adaptable to any city of the world, namely: TrafficManagement and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education andtechnology; Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism;security and Governance. These are encapsulated in the acronym T.H.E.M.E.S.AGENDA for a Greater Lagos.
What do you see when you close youreyes and imagine the Nigeria of the future, say 5, 10, 20, 50, 60 or even 100years from now? This is the question I ask myself daily in the discharge of myduties and in implementing policies which are designed to be adapted for aworld beyond our present circumstances and realities. The litmus test for anycourse of action is to objectively answer whether a policy would be of benefitto our children and generations yet unborn.
Afro-futurism is a concept that islargely shaping developments around the continent, Nigeria inclusive. In ourquest for a semblance of what a utopian African society would look like (ourvery own Wakanda if you like), Lagos is making monumental strides in thetransport and housing sectors. These are the two behemoths which often posegreat challenges to a city with a sprawling population such as ours. Some ofthe priorities of my administration are solutions which accommodate people andmove them efficiently from one place to another, significantly reducing lostproductivity time associated with current commute challenges.
The Lagos Light Rail system is oneof such projects which will redefine our commuting experience and overhaul theentire transport system. Gleaning lessons from the railway operations of oldand infusing ultra-modern technology, this will open up Lagos like neverbefore, easing the movement of people and goods within the metropolis. We arein the final phase of delivering the 27km Blue Line, which connects Marina inthe heart of the city with Okokomaiko on the outskirts. It is set for test-runin December 2021. This will pave the way for the Red Line from Agbado-marinaand six other planned routes, which are part of our transport masterplan. Thefuture of transportation is the ability to connect from opposite sides of the mainland to Lagos Island in minutes. This will not only positively impact the ease of doing business within Lagos, but promote enhanced interstate commerce with better opportunities for all.
We are making the most of our unique topography by investing aggressive ly in an operational water transport system. commuters are being ferried across Lagos waterways along various routes, comprising Ikorodu, Ebute-ero, Apapa, CMS, Ikoyi and Ajah, with LAGFERRY services. We launched 14 boats earlier this year and are set to double the fleet by the end of first quarter of 2021. We extended the campaign to safety of passengers by removing water hyacinth from the water channels and creating navigation routes through the use of directional balls. These are all geared towards easing the pressure on our roads.
We recently flagged off the 13.68kmlong BRT corridor from Oshodi-abule Egba, which has drastically reduced traveltime from an average two hours during peak periods to approximately 30 minutes. This is in addition to an upgraded eticketing system, which will be integrated into the BRT, LAGFERRY and Light Rail services. Acknowledging the need for partnership in meeting the demand for commuting services, we have engaged ride-hailing companies to develop regulatory guidelines which meet this demand and prioritize safety of passengers. These are all aimed at improving thepublic commuting experience and increasing productivity of an average lagosian.
Occupying just 0.38% of Nigeria’s land mass and one-third of that figure under water, it would seem the odds are stacked against us in housing. With our sight set firmly on the future, we ared eveloping Lagos Homes housing projects in many parts of our dear state. Some have been delivered in Ikorodu, Igando, Lekki and Badagry. Besides, we are implementing policies which make the creation of housing solutions easier, butwe are not oblivious of the limitations of the government to solely reverse the housing deficit. We are continuously seeking partnership with the privatesector and real estate developers to jointly address this problem.
One such venture is the Eko Atlanticcity, a mega real estate project which challenges our perceptions of what is possible in the realm of city architecture. Popularly referred to as the “Greatwall of Lagos”, this entirely new coastal city being developed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean will become home to a quarter of a million people and provide 150,000 with jobs. This template will set the stage for usto join the league of smart cities; this would have been inconceivable decades ago.
Our commitment to providing sustainable energy and affordable power is challenging the traditional stereo types. A few months ago, the Lagos State Government launched an innovation challenge ( Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon), which is leveraging the tech community to find crowdsourced solutions to our metering gap through locally developed prototypes for prepaid meters.
Similar initiatives aimed at accelerating the pace of technological advancement are constantly incubated through dedicated programmes at the Eko Innovation Center.
In the same vein, we expanded the olusosun landfill, one of Africa’s largest dumpsites, by 42 acres to accommodate increased activity and plans to harness energy from the natural gases which build up there. This is one example of the ways in which Lagos applies homegrown solutions to problems, in this case waste management.
To Lagosians, I cannot overstate the crucial roles we all have to play as individuals in the achievement of the lagos of our dream. We rely on you, because you are our greatest resource –the demographic dividend which is only payable when our young, vibrant work force exert their full capacities to driving economic growth.
When I close my eyes and think of nigeria of the future, it is one that has largely been influenced by the advancements we make here in Lagos. And so, my imagination is filled with the endless possibilities of an intermodal transport system that optimizes the use of road, rail and water as well as intracity aerial modes of transport. I seethe fantastic buildings that will dominate the city’s skyline as we continuously build up and also our coastline with the advent of floating cities.
But, most especially, I see you: the creative, passionate, resilient people, who will make these dreams come true with your output and advancement in commerce, industrialization, service delivery and commitment to excellence.
I see a Lagos that becomes a net exporter of talents with ambassadors whose names reverberate from all corners of the world. Our art and fashion gracing the runways of coveted shows and adorning the closets of icons; a pristine environment devoid of pollution andwhite sand beaches that will be the toast of the tourism industry; our afrofusion music and Nollywood works driving global conversations, dominating the screens of an enthralled audience from Sydney to California, Amsterdam and mumbai. Ever present in my mind’s eye are upscaled levels of export production and much needed foreign exchange from the industrious merchants of the international markets at Ladipo or Balogun; and the sophisticated innovations that pop out of Yaba, our own Silicon Valley.
Encompassing these socio- economic advancements is the infectious warmth of our people and their boundless energy, their calmness in the organised buzz that characterises our city and, perhaps most importantly, a cohesive security infrastructure that promotes peace.
I refuse to accept that this is allthe fruit of my fertile imagination. No. I truly believe in our inherent power to advance the course of Lagos and, by extension, Nigeria’s path towards realistic dreams. Adapting the lingo that has come to be associated with another metropolitan city, I make bold to say that “You can make it here, and win everywhere”.
. Babajide Sanwo- Olu is the executive governor of Lagos State