Looking forward to Lagos at 50

Sir: As the anniversary of Lagos’ golden jubilee draws nearer, reminiscences over the State’s socio-political and economic development from inception till date is quite natural. In particular, efforts of the various pathfinders who worked assiduously to ensure that Lagos remains a true ‘Center of Excellence’ is worth bringing into focus.

Lagos, though in existence prior to 1967, became a State on May 27, 1967 when Nigeria was divided into 12 States nation under General Yakubu Gowon.

In the past fifty years, Lagos has passed through varied social-economic and political phases and obviously a proper golden jubilee should serve as one that ushers in golden opportunities.

That Lagos State holds a unique place in the socio-economic setting of the country is never in doubt. It has the largest economy, and attracts the most tourists. Lagos really does have something for everyone. The state was the most important host of the nationalists’ struggles and many of the fight for social justice in the country and full of edifices that were put in place to immortalise Nigeria’s heroes.

Prior to Nigeria’s Second Republic, Lagos State was ruled by four military administrators with the first and longest serving being Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson who was the Governor from May 28, 1967 to July 1975.

The first three years of Johnson’s administration was the period Nigeria fought a bloody civil war resulting in massive wave of migration to Lagos. On the positive side, it is interesting to narrate that massive post-civil war development changed the skyline of Lagos.

Before Alhaji Lateef Jakande came on board when Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1979, the State had gradually become a city in reverse with a huge population putting heavy pressure on its delicate infrastructure. So much pressure was on the State infrastructure that schools were being run on three shift system. Thus came to an end, the era of old Lagos where kids could play ‘’hide and seek’’ without the fear of being knocked down by vehicles. ‘Eko for show’ had given way to ‘Eko gbole, o gbole’ (Lagos takes anything).

However, all this was to really change during the Second Republic with the coming of the administration of Alhaji Jakande, which was very effective and creative in the implementation of the cardinal policies of his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

The progress was halted when Jakande’s tenure as governor ended with the Buhari-Idiagbon military coup of December 31, 1983.

From the period of military misrule until the enigmatic pathfinder of modern Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed came on board in 1999; Lagos had almost become Nigeria’s nemesis.

Rasak Musbau