Lagos Island ( Eko), which is the epi-centre of our present Lagos State, is one of the oldest kingdoms on the West African Coast. 1 However, this lecture shall try to throw some insight into major developments in its history. And this is certain.The history of Lagos has received attention from historians and others that a single lecture cannot do proper justice to it. It continues respirating in its infamous mantra coined in its local dialect of Yoruba, “Eko Oni Baje”, which simply contextually translates as Lagos would always be better. With several multibillion dollar projects and investments, coupled with the booming popularization of the city’s positive highlights, down to the basic transformational changes in its nooks and crannies, the city is charted down a path of monumental prosperity, in the next sixty years. It is a divinely blessed city as once extolled by one of its iconic former Governor Lateef Jakande. Today, it has metamorphosed into a megacity with mega achievements from the tech, business, political, to even the entertainment and scientific space. Sixty years ago, Lagos was a child of promise. While road expansion projects have become normalised in the city, the ever hasty-spirit of Lagosians, coupled with the lack of proper rehabilitation on the city roads as well as lack of effective regulation, have continued to spur the vehicular gridlock problem. The city’s transport authorities claim over 1.6 million vehicles ply the same roads that were developed for less than half of that population, sixty years ago. The World Bank recently reported over 11,200 deaths attributable to air pollution sicknesses, as at two years ago.Īsides that, the gridlock is another nightmarish situation for the city that is famed for its ever-busy spirit. This has, in turn, affected the productivity of the manufacturing sector.Įven residents have to suffer the consistent problem of inhaling air polluted by generator fumes, endangering their health. Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), decried that the electricity problem has become a burden as manufacturers millions of naira monthly to provide alternative sources of energy in the form of diesel or gas generators, for production. However, the city still has some lingering lacunas in development.įor a bostling commercial hub like Lagos, steady electricity supply is still a daydream to a core of its residents. In the marathon race of growth, Lagos has had a good run, after sixty solid years. Just recently, Tech giant, Facebook, announced that it would open its second African office in the city, by 2021. It is a major investment hub for major multinationals. Key manufacturing industries in Lagos include food, beverages and tobacco, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, rubber and foam, cement, plastic products, basic metals and foam, steel and fabricated metal products, pulp and paper products, electrical and electronics, textile manufacturing, furniture and wood products, motor vehicles and miscellaneous assembly. Lagos, today, accounts for over 53 percent of manufacturing employment in Nigeria, significantly contributing to the 7 percent of national GDP constituted by manufacturing. Although it covers only 0.4th of Nigeria’s territorial land mass, making it the smallest state in the country, it accounts for over 60 percent of industrial and commercial activities in Nigeria.Īs the seventh fastest growing city in the world, Lagos is fast morphing into a mega manufacturing hub. Lagos has a rich history of economic growth and transformation. ‘Manufacturing and Lagos’ Legacy of Sustainable IGRs’ A lot of road corridors have been built as well. It has also achieved the reclamation and greening of previously disused and misused spaces below Lagos’s many flyovers, bridges and interchanges. The Lagos administrations of the last decade have successfully boosted the city’s public transport – with the Bus Rapid Transit and Lagos Ferries being one of the iconic highlights. Today, it has already begun work on the Lagos-Calabar $11bn dollars railway, the Eko Atlantic coastal city, Lagos light rail, $1.2bn Lekki Free Trade Zone, among others. Lagos’ infrastructure has continued to rise in meteoric standards, despite its many odds. One of its major infrastructural nods was the third mainland bridge which was finished, in 1994, having a significant impact on mainland development.
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