Abuja politicians blocking special status recognition for Lagos, says Sanwo-Olu

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says politicians in Abuja are unwilling to support the state’s demand for special status despite its historical significance and contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London at the weekend, Sanwo-Olu said the federal government is supporting Lagos through infrastructure projects and reforms but could do more to address the state’s peculiar needs.

Asked whether President Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, is doing enough for the state, Sanwo-Olu said discussions with the federal government are ongoing.

The governor, however, said Lagos deserves special consideration because it previously served as Nigeria’s capital and remains the country’s commercial hub.

“It’s an ongoing conversation. I cannot pretend that the current federal government is not helping out,” he said.

“So, the federal government is helping us. Lagos used to be the capital of the country and the administrative head until when Abuja came up. So, they are helping but it could be a bit more.”

Sanwo-Olu added that the state has repeatedly raised the issue of special status but faced resistance from politicians in Abuja.

He argued that Lagos is distinct from other states because it accommodates people from different ethnic groups across the country.

“We have talked about Lagos being given a special status but constitutionally, the politicians in Abuja will never let that happen. So, we are having conversations,” he said.

“We are one of 36 states but they just need to look at us very differently because indeed, every single ethnic national have a place in Lagos.”

Sanwo-Olu noted that securing special status would require political negotiations but said the federal government is listening to the state’s concerns.

The governor also called for greater consideration for Lagos in the distribution of value-added tax (VAT) revenue, saying a significant share of the national pool is harvested from the state.

“You know it is a political environment but they are listening to us. It takes a while for some of those changes to happen,” he said.

“Also, a lot of the VAT that is distributed nationally gets collected from Lagos. We are having some discussions about ensuring that Lagos still continues to earn more on value added taxation.”

On infrastructure, Sanwo-Olu cited the Lagos section of the coastal road and the proposed Sokoto-Badagry superhighway as examples of federal government support.

He said the 70-kilometre Lagos section of the coastal road is largely completed, adding that the project will improve connectivity between Lagos and other parts of the country.

“The coastal road which is one place where we thought it was impossible which is now 700km, the 70km coming out of Lagos is largely completed,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the potential benefits of the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, saying its proposed network of 250 dams would support irrigation and agricultural production, increasing food supplies to Lagos.

He identified electricity sector reforms under Tinubu’s administration as another area of progress, saying they have enabled states to participate more actively in power generation and distribution.

The governor said Lagos has established its electricity regulatory commission and signed about 22 public-private partnership agreements to increase power generation capacity by 2,000 megawatts within three years.

Sanwo-Olu also said discussions on state policing are ongoing, expressing hopes that a constitution amendment would allow states to take a more active role in security.

He said the proposed reform would improve public security and create a better economic environment. (TheCable)