The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described Lagos State as a “no-man’s land” and a source of pride for the Nigerian economy.
Bwala, who spoke on Arise Television’s Daybreak program on Wednesday, claimed that the preponderance of federal projects in Lagos should not be interpreted as favoritism but rather as investment in the country’s economic capital.
He said, “Let me tell you why Lagos State is different. Lagos State is a no-man’s land. In the last election, the president, who comes from the southwest, did not win Lagos. That tells you the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State.
“The richest man in Africa is a northerner. His business is not in Kano; it’s in Lagos. Almost every rich man that you know in Nigeria has business undertakings in Lagos, and the Nigerian people are represented in Lagos.
“If not because probably the majority of the people are Yoruba speaking, you will wonder whether Lagos indeed is from the South-West.”
Comparing Lagos with other global economic centers, Bwala added, “London has more investment than all the states in England put together. New York has more infrastructure and investment than the rest of the United States, including California. Paris has more investment.
“So in every country, wherever you find the commercial nerve of that country, you are likely to see the need to put infrastructure in place in order to boost the economy. Whatever Lagos benefits, the country benefits.”
Bwala emphasized that the N3.9 trillion worth of federal projects reportedly allocated to Lagos in two years was justifiable, stressing that Lagos remained Nigeria’s hub of commerce and a beacon of economic growth.
“So the idea that you put more in Lagos than in other states or the federation should be put into a proper context. Lagos is a no-man’s land. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria. Lagos is the pride of the country,” Bwala stated.
