By Opeyemi Eniola
Since the turn of the century, the city of Lagos has emerged as a major economic and cultural hub in Nigeria and the African sub-region. With a population of over 20 million people, Lagos is not only the largest city in Nigeria but also one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa.
The 21st century-Lagos had begun to metamorphose into an emerging urban city, almost rubbishing the views of sceptics with their Armageddon-like prediction of a state already fraught with human congestion, surging crime, poor living conditions, environmental degradation, rural congestion, transportation chaos, a literacy rate that is barely above average, and a high cost of living.
Despite this downside, however, one thing you cannot take away from this state of aquatic splendour is its vast abundance of energy, skills, and resources. According to a 2012 report by Cities Alliance, a non-governmental organisation, Lagos State’s cultural and commercial strength accounts for 32 per cent of the national GDP.
Besides, the report describes Lagos as one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and says that by 2015, it is expected to be the globe’s third-largest city, according to United Nations estimates. Nevertheless, Lagos currently goes through oversubscription of its education, a development that this writer believes is occasioned by its explosive and growing population.
Lagos State is a confluence, no doubt! It is home to a diverse population that cuts across ethnic, religious, political, and socio-economic backgrounds. Little wonder it is generally referred to as a ‘Mini Nigeria’ considering its amalgam of tongues. This diversity nevertheless needs to be addressed within the context of the needs and aspirations of the varying groups that crave for education in the state.
And for this to be realisable, Lagos deserves a special status that recognises and acknowledges its unique circumstances and peculiarities. Although Lagos State is committed to the provision of quality education to all children in the state, the demand for education far exceeds the financial resources available to the state.
This explains a surge in enrolments at private schools, which continues to grow rapidly. As stated earlier, with over 20 million residents, there is no way this reality will not put a strain on the city’s education system. Now let us use the state basic, secondary and tertiary school sub-sectors to drive home our argument.
When Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999, President Bola Tinubu, who was a two-term governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, demanded a special status for the state.
One of the steps undertaken by Tinubu at the time was the expansion of the 20 existing local governments to 57 councils so that more development could percolate, particularly to the grassroots. Since then, subsequent governments have repeatedly made similar calls at every opportunity possible.
Three years ago, precisely in May 2021, just as plans were underway by the National Assembly to review the 1999 Constitution, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, renewed the call for a special status for Lagos in view of the breakthrough Nigeria has so far enjoyed, which is arguably linked to the prosperity in the state.
Speaking at a two-day Senate zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his crave for a special status for the state is predicated on the sensitive role Lagos plays in the national economy despite its restricted land mass.
“For us in Lagos State, the issues of state police and fiscal federalism are at the top of the priority list for us in this ongoing review process. Equally fundamental, particularly for us in Lagos State, is the issue of a special economic status for Lagos, considering our place in the national economy and the special burdens we bear by virtue of our large population and limited landmass.
“I believe the need for this special status has been sufficiently articulated and justified. It suffices for me at this point to restate that this request is by no means a selfish one, but one that is actually in the interest of every Nigerian and of Nigeria as a nation. “The progress and prosperity of Nigeria are inextricably linked to the progress and prosperity of Lagos State.
A special status for Lagos, therefore, must be a concern not only for the people of Lagos State alone but for all Nigerians,” the governor said. A 2009-2020 Lagos Sector Education Plan, which captures Lagos State expenditures, revealed that most schoolchildren in the state, for instance, are originally from other geo-political zones of the country.
The document states that of the 133,516 junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State, only 13,756 pupils, amounting to 10.30 per cent, are Lagos indigenes. Pupils across other South-West states take the next chunk, with 68,511 amounting to 51.31 per cent.
Their counterparts from the South-East followed, claiming another huge 23,979 population, representing 17.82 per cent. South-South is 8,355, indicating 6.26 per cent, while North-East has 1,008 pupils, amounting to 0.75 per cent. North-West has 136 pupils, representing 0.10 per cent, while North-Central comprises 374 pupils, amounting to 0.82 per cent.
According to the document, total student enrolments into higher educational institutions in Lagos for part-time and full-time programmes skyrocketed from 76,697 to 118,466 between 2001 and 2005. Beyond inter-state migration, Lagos State is also attracting large numbers of expatriates who throng the state daily for their Golden Fleece.
Source: New Telegraph