BY ABIMBOLA EMDIN-UMEH

THE  Seven-Up end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway daily records unprecedented influx of people into Lagos from across the country. Indeed a recent study reveals that over [size=13pt]25,000 people from across the world move into Lagos for various reasons on a daily basis[/size]. This is what makes Lagos a melting pot.

This is what makes Lagos tick. [size=14pt]The presence of people from diverse walks of life is partly responsible for the prosperity of Lagos. It is ironic, however, that the prosperity of Lagos has also brought a huge pressure on the state as its sheer human population puts serious pressure on infrastructure in the state.

You can imagine the number of heavy duty vehicles that ply Lagos roads on a daily basis. You can imagine the number of pupils and students from other states that attend Lagos public schools. Consequently, the state spends more on infrastructural upgrading and provision of other basic life necessities than any state in the country. Eighty percent of the industries in the country are located in Lagos.[/size]

This ushers in prosperity. However, the prosperity is with a cost as it has serious environmental implications on the state. Hence, the state government spends more on environmental protection. Thus, the case of Lagos is like that of big head, big headache.

[b]One of the reasons given for the conception of the Lagos State Resident Identification Exercise is for the state government to have a population data on which adequate planning can be hinged upon.  Lagos is renowned to be very accommodating and liberal; it is an open secret that a good percentage of the patients that use the health facilities in the state come from neighbouring states. Lagos, indeed, is one of the states where residency, ethnic and political divides are not considered for people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

This is, however, coming at a price: the enormous population that troops into the State from all over the world has far- reaching consequences on infrastructures in the state. Despite being relatively hospitable, the state like all other governments world –wide, has a set budget designed to aid   implementation of its programmes and activities based on available resources.

This hospitality should not be abused at the expense of the social needs of the state. In the health sector, Lagos State indiscriminately provides health care services and drugs for Nigerians in Lagos from ages 0-12 and 60 and above. Free ante-natal care is also provided for pregnant women.

These services are available at healthcare centres that traverse the state with the additional Eko Free Health Mission which is carried out at intervals on a weekly basis with the Ministry of Health in taking care of people in the district by offering test and treatments for eye ailments, blood pressure, diabetics and dental care, etc.

In order to reduce pressure on the state, it is important that governments across the country embrace good governance. The primary purpose of governance is to improve the living condition of the people. No more, no less. The time is ripe for public office holders in the country to change their perception of public offices.

They are principally voted into office to serve the people by bringing up developmental agenda that are meant to improve the lot of the people. It is unfortunate that most of them add to the burden of the people rather than reducing it. Imagine what the country would look like if we have more Fasholas, Amaechis, Lamidos and Oshiomoles at the helm of affairs in all the states across the country. It means more people will rather choose to stay in their states than coming to hustle in Lagos.[/b]

If all the states are properly governed, there will be more opportunities for the people across the country which will eventually reduce the pressure on Lagos. For instance, the neglect of basic infrastructure and amenities in neighboring Ogun State over the years will not only be a big challenge to the new administration of Governor Amosun but definitely may also create an image problem for Lagos State, as most visitors coming through the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway will be assaulted with the pungent smell coming from mountains of unpacked refuse along the roads.

It will also not be out of place if the state is given a better deal in the revenue sharing formula in the country.  There is obvious reason to review the status of the State as a commercial and economic hub and reconsider it worthy as one of the states to benefit from the 13 per cent derivation formula. This will ensure relative and even development.

Also, the governors in the South West region, and indeed other regions in the country, could form different regional organisations that will fast track the economic and infrastructural development of their respective regions. Common issues such as joint agricultural programme, road network, education, healthcare, among others, could be tackled together to achieve better results.

Fortunately, the 2011 elections saw most of the states in the South West voting for candidates with progressive credentials because of their yearnings for good governance. They should take advantage of their popular mandates to provide succour to the down-trodden in their respective states.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/reducing-the-pressure-on-lagos/

Off topic:
With 25 000 people coming in everyday, yet, Lagos was still able to maintain "FREE HEALTH SERVICES"!!! Its a commendably act.
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We have to learn to invest in other states of the Country eg Delta state and Port harcourt. How can Lagos (the smallest state in Nigeria) have over 80% of all the companies in the Country I think that is abit loopsided! Ogun state, Ondo state and Delta state should take advantage of their respective proximity to Lagos as a means to drive investors to their states.

jason123:

Off topic:
With 25 000 people coming in everyday, yet, Lagos was still able to maintain "FREE HEALTH SERVICES"!!! Its a commendably act.
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We have to learn to invest in other states of the Country eg Delta state and Port harcourt. How can Lagos (the smallest state in Nigeria) have over 80% of all the companies in the Country I think that is abit loopsided! Ogun state, Ondo state and Delta state should take advantage of their respective proximity to Lagos as a means to drive investors to their states.

Jason,

Its not that our politicians and leaders don't know what's the right thing to do for the country. Its just that they've refused to do it. All these guys that have been our respective leaders, from the presidency down to the governors and LG chairmen, all knew and still know what's best for their respective communities, states and the country.

Doing them has been the most difficult.

dem_people:

Jason,

Its not that our politicians and leaders don't know what's the right thing to do for the country. Its just that they've refused to do it. All these guys that have been our respective leaders, from the presidency down to the governors and LG chairmen, all knew and still know what's best for their respective communities, states and the country.

Doing them has been the most difficult.

Do not mind those ediots!!!

I mean, the surprising thing about this article is the "OVER 80%" figure . So basically, Lagos is Nigeria?? A Sea port is already built in Ondo and Ogun axis. Delta has a sea port (I guess ) and with Port harcourt's sea port. Its time for some industries to take the risk and invest in these places. In fact, the government should do something about the population size of Lagos. Over 25 000 EVERYDAY? Its unacceptable. They need to move industries (possible forcefully) to Warri (Delta) and Port harcourt.

This is my take on this.

I don't know why this keeps coming up when people know the truth and refuse to tell the truth.

Lagos is hosting all the oil company headquaters in nigeria, some upstream oil companies like saipem, chevron, mobil, total, shell and sapetro is in lagos. Even when there is no oil company in lagos and lagos is not the capital of nigeria.

If this oil companies can relocate to the niger delta then lagos will be correctly populated.
Anyother solution will never work and will amount to using oxygen to put off a burning flame.if you build infrastructure like road and schools , it will attract more people .

jason123:

Do not mind those ediots!!!

I mean, the surprising thing about this article is the "OVER 80%" figure . So basically, Lagos is Nigeria??  A Sea port is already built in Ondo and Ogun axis. Delta has a sea port (I guess ) and with Port harcourt's sea port. Its time for some industries to take the risk and invest in these places. In fact, the government should do something about the population size of Lagos. Over 25 000 EVERYDAY? Its unacceptable. They need to move industries (possible forcefully) to Warri (Delta) and Port harcourt.

This is my take on this.

You're right. The government should really do something about Lagos. But I think that, for the private sector to be interested in other cities outside of Lagos, FG has to at least try and alleviate the infrastructure in those states rather than leave it to the mercy of the concerned state's budget.

There're states that need FG help in terms of rapid urban re-development which would encourage rapid industrialisation which in turn, will drastically expand the country's economy though I doubt the FG's seriousness in such initiatives.

States like Anambra, Abia, Imo (all with highly commercialized cities e.g. Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, Owerri), Delta and Kano should be given utmost attention by the FG to rapidly develop infrastructure in such states.

If I were GEJ, I would think of a special budget for infrastructural development for such states with the aim of easing the pressure on Lagos. I would be surprised if he hasn't thought of this already.  

FG should never make the mistake they made in Lagos, in other potential states by allowing the massive population influx without adequate infrastructures to support such influx but well, I guess we've always had porous governments whose officials have mainly been concerned with lining their pockets.

asorocker:

I don't know why this keeps coming up when people know the truth and refuse to tell the truth.

Lagos is hosting all the oil company headquaters in nigeria, some upstream  oil companies like saipem, chevron, mobil, total, shell and sapetro is in lagos. Even when there is no oil company in lagos and lagos is not the capital of nigeria.

If this oil companies can relocate to the niger delta then lagos will be correctly populated.
Anyother solution will never work and will amount to using oxygen to put off a burning flame.if you build infrastructure like road and schools , it will attract more people .

as u can see river (port harcount) is indeed an emerging economy in nigeria

ameache has to do it right, oil companies love lagos because of the population, airport and security

once those sturtures are in port harcount, then give the state about 10 yrs, u would see the magic as people would influx the state

currently in port harcount(no man's land) houses about 10% northerner 30%yorubas 40% igbos 20% ijaws/ikwerri and other minorities

i just hope port harcount can take advantage of its current low population and do some housing plan unlike lagos

companies would rush there, also there is need to check MEND, BAKASSI BOYS ETC before they can move

dem_people:

You're right. The government should really do something about Lagos. But I think that, for the private sector to be interested in other cities outside of Lagos, FG has to at least try and alleviate the infrastructure in those states rather than leave it to the mercy of the concerned state's budget.

There're states that need FG help in terms of rapid urban re-development which would encourage rapid industrialisation which in turn, will drastically expand the country's economy though I doubt the FG's seriousness in such initiatives.

States like Anambra, Abia, Imo (all with highly commercialized cities e.g. Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, Owerri), Delta and Kano should be given utmost attention by the FG to rapidly develop infrastructure in such states.

If I were GEJ, I would think of a special budget for infrastructural development for such states with the aim of easing the pressure on Lagos. I would be surprised if he hasn't thought of this already.  

FG should never make the mistake they made in Lagos, in other potential states by allowing the massive population influx without adequate infrastructures to support such influx but well, I guess we've always had porous governments whose officials have mainly been concerned with lining their pockets.

them people

i still think port harcount holds much more potential than nnewi, onitcha etc

also i also believe kano city

if not for MEND madness, Rivers state would have been bigger than this

alj_harem:

them people

i still think port harcount holds much more potential than nnewi, onitcha etc

also i also believe kano city

if not for MEND madness, Rivers state would have been bigger than this

Since when did PH have more potential than Nnewi and Onitsha? Is it cos of the oil companies, seaport etc? Onitsha can also be an oil city if the reserves in Anambra are exploited. What we all need is planning and capital. Onitsha and Nnewi already have master plans of which I do have copies. Notwithstanding, Rivers and Delta already generate huge tax from the oil companies plus the increased FG allocation they enjoy.

FG should target those states where there're huge clusters of people. The rapid infrastructural development of such states will drastically decrease the pressure on Lagos.

dem_people:

[b]Since when did PH have more potential than Nnewi and Onitsha? Is it cos of the oil companies, seaport etc? Onitsha can also be an oil city if the reserves in Anambra are exploited. [/b]What we all need is planning and capital. Onitsha and Nnewi already have master plans of which I do have copies. Notwithstanding, Rivers and Delta already generate huge tax from the oil companies plus the increased FG allocation they enjoy.

FG should target those states where there're huge clusters of people. The rapid infrastructural development of such states will drastically decrease the pressure on Lagos.

them people

believe me, to be come a power/economic hub, u do not want oil to be found in ur land

once there is oil exploration in anambra, that is it for the dream of becoming any economic center because of the degeration of the land

oil is found in the SW and North but u do not see these 2 region exploring theres

infact lagos has it that only 1 oil company at a time, drive thru 3rd mainland brigbe u would see what am talking about

i would like to see the copies u have o onisha and nnewi

huge cluster of people are found in lagos, port harcount, kano, warri, u can give me more

dem_people:

You're right. The government should really do something about Lagos. But I think that, for the private sector to be interested in other cities outside of Lagos, FG has to at least try and alleviate the infrastructure in those states rather than leave it to the mercy of the concerned state's budget.

There're states that need FG help in terms of rapid urban re-development which would encourage rapid industrialisation which in turn, will drastically expand the country's economy though I doubt the FG's seriousness in such initiatives.

States like Anambra, Abia, Imo (all with highly commercialized cities e.g. Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, Owerri), Delta and Kano should be given utmost attention by the FG to rapidly develop infrastructure in such states.

If I were GEJ, I would think of a special budget for infrastructural development for such states with the aim of easing the pressure on Lagos. I would be surprised if he hasn't thought of this already.  

FG should never make the mistake they made in Lagos, in other potential states by allowing the massive population influx without adequate infrastructures to support such influx but well, I guess we've always had porous governments whose officials have mainly been concerned with lining their pockets.

Supported! But, I reckon, Aba, Onisha and all should be our technological economy. What I mean by that is, we can tap into the brains of all these people that make "Aba made" goods and export those goods to neighbouring African countries for a starter. Moreover, it would mean will be tapping into the great brains of Igbos!

Places like Lagos, Port harcourt and Delta should be our "gem". Those places should be the ECONOMIC POWER HOUSES OF AFRICA. I mean, the GDP of one of these cities should surpass the GDP of all neighbouring countries.

Kano  and the Most of the Northern states should be the food source of the Sub sharia countries.

Places like Ogun, Cross river state and Ondo will automatically emerge as a power house (Locally, that is) because of the rising cost of accommodations in the proximity cities ( eg Ogun and Lagos).

Oyo should be made as the information gate way state in West africa because of its location, its proximity to neigbouring countries and at least 3 neighbouring countries understand Yoruba (although, the news should be in English) so, it should be easy to gain the confidence of the people in those countries.

Middle Belt states should be used for EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE!!!!

Oh, I can go on and on and on . . . .the potentials are TRULY LIMITLESS if, and if only, OUR GOVERNMENT HAS A BIT OF SENSE!!!!

Before, you even know it, if this is done with true federalism and resource control ( that is UNITED STATES OF NIGERIA ), neighbouring countries will be BEGGING to join us. At least I am sure of Benin republic and misuwa .

Brother, I just wish Nigeria can be great!!!!

By its geography and commercial qualities (seaport, diversity) Lagos will always be attractive for immigrants. However, other state governments need to step up. Starting with the SW states, at least improving road networks would help a lot. That way folks can move around easily.

More so this is why I feel NYSC  program has to remain in order to move young folks to new areas and opportunities but states really need to step up with seeking out their commercial way and branding their opportunities. If the NYSC program can be refocused and localized so that entrepreneurial opportunities will be taught and special incentives given for folks to stay, say more accessible loans, then things will start getting better.

alj_harem:

them people

believe me, to be come a power/economic hub, u do not want oil  to be found in your land

once there is oil exploration in anambra, that is it for the dream of becoming any economic center because of the degeration of the land

oil is found in the SW and North but u do not see these 2 region exploring theres

infact lagos has it that only 1 oil company at a time, drive thru 3rd mainland brigbe u would see what am talking about

i would like to see the copies u have o onisha and nnewi

huge cluster of people are found in lagos, port harcount, kano, warri,  u can give me more

I'm not sure there wouldn't be stringent penalties for environmental degradation but ofcourse, na 9ja e be so, anything can happen.

On the whole, just a bit of inquisition on my part cos it could be my brain is failing me here but, where in the north is there oil? (And please don't dodge the question).

jason123:

Supported! But, I reckon, Aba, Onisha and all should be our technological economy. What I mean by that is, we can tap into the brains of all these people that make "Aba made" goods and export those goods to neighbouring African countries for a starter. Moreover, it would mean will be tapping into the great brains of Igbos!

Places like Lagos, Port harcourt and Delta should be our "gem". Those places should be the ECONOMIC POWER HOUSES OF AFRICA. I mean, the GDP of one of these cities should surpass the GDP of all neighbouring countries.

Kano  and the Most of the Northern states should be the food source of the Sub sharia countries.

Places like Ogun, Cross river state and Ondo will automatically emerge as a power house (Locally, that is) because of the rising cost of accommodations in the proximity cities ( eg Ogun and Lagos).

Oyo should be made as the information gate way state in West africa because of its location, its proximity to neigbouring countries and at least 3 neighbouring countries understand Yoruba (although, the news should be in English) so, it should be easy to gain the confidence of the people in those countries.

Middle Belt states should be used for EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE!!!!

Oh, I can go on and on and on . . . .the potentials are TRULY LIMITLESS if, and if only, OUR GOVERNMENT HAS A BIT OF SENSE!!!!

Before, you even know it, if this is done with true federalism and resource control ( that is UNITED STATES OF NIGERIA ), neighbouring countries will be BEGGING to join us. At least I am sure of Benin republic and misuwa .

Brother, I just wish Nigeria can be great!!!!

Great points. True diversification of the economy.

But realistically, we need a SNC not to be a referendum on how to split up but, on how really we're governed as well as the structure of the government before we experience an industrial revolution and a booming economy. That way, we all can be rest assured that the existence of the post-SNC country is solidified.

dem_people:

I'm not sure there wouldn't be stringent penalties for environmental degradation but ofcourse, na 9ja e be so, anything can happen.

On the whole, just a bit of inquisition on my part cos it could be my brain is failing me here but, where in the north is there oil? (And please don't dodge the question).

Borno and goes all the way to part of lake chad

nigerias problem is spiritual no amount of english or politics will solve it

Indeed a recent study reveals that over 25,000 people from across the world move into Lagos for various reasons on a[b] daily [/b] basis.

imagine.

bashr4:

nigerias problem is spiritual no amount of english or politics will solve it

lol.

If u ask me oooo! Dat capital city(FCT) need to be moved to Niger/Delta (Port Harcourt) for any planned infrastructural development to be making sense. Look how BOKO Haram are moving through abuja like they own the place. Jonathan need to relocate the capital city to Port Harcourt for safety reasons and because of Terrorism. 

This move alone will create all the Jobs needed to disband mend and put all does oil company in check.

alj_harem:

Borno and goes all the way to part of lake chad

Na dat speculation of oil in Lake Chad region Jonathan suppose explore and if any expliot.  Nuff Said!

Calculia:

If u ask me oooo! Dat capital city(FCT) need to be moved to Niger/Delta (Port Harcourt) for any planned infrastructural development to be making sense. Look how BOKO Haram are moving through abuja like they own the place. J[b]onathan need to relocate the capital city to Port Harcourt for safety reasons and because of Terrorism[/b]. 

This move alone will create all the Jobs needed to disband mend and put all does oil company in check.

you are calling the state governor incompetent?
You mean Jonathan should run from abuja to be safe? how nice
So naturally jobs cant be created until the FG moves into a city ?

High Speed rail will help, there are so many potential new commuter cities that can be created along the SW region
A 2hour train Linking Lagos to Ilorin/Abuja with one stop at each city will reduce the burden

maybe more studies should be carried out to find out where the people are actually coming from

they should move most of the headquarters of some COY to neighboring Sates.I am still surprise why Banks and Insurance COY still have their Head offices in Lagos instead of Abuja.I think it will be wise if some organization such as Banks and Telecoms are made to move the Head Offices to Abuja .Thier Operational offices can remain in Lagos.

This will greatly decongest Lagos

dream dey sweet anyway sha if the older generation were thinking like this Nigeria could have been a lot better!!!!!

Well, there is really no way to divest from Lagos. Lagos has the infrastructure advantage of being a former capital of Nigeria, particularly during the oil boom, and when saner people were in power. It also has the advantage of being a coastal city, same as Accra, Abidjan, etc.

I doubt there is much that can be done - Lagos has a small land mass and too many slums. The too-many slums are always an attractive target for more fortune-seekers from upcountry to disappear into. Once they get in, you can never get them out. It's like that everywhere in the world.

The best that can be done is to improve on the roads network, provide intra-city access roads, public transportation (like BRT and the light rail), and try to raise the level of amenities provision in the suburbs. People prefer to cluster in areas with good road access, security, transportation, and other amenities. A lot of people have started coming back to Lekki with the completion of the first sections of the toll road, cos the traffic eased up a lot better.

For example, with a world class road and rail network on the Badagry expressway in place, you'd see almost immediately a rapid shift of bodies to the Agbara/Ajangbadi/Ijanikin/Ketu/Iba/Igando areas.

On a serious note, you'd need a 30-year Marshall-type plan to revamp Lagos, as well as trillions of dollars. That's why I think the current government is doing very well. They are managing the problem as best as they can, realistically.

teskyg:

they should move most of the headquarters of some COY to neighboring Sates.I am still surprise why Banks and Insurance COY still have their Head offices in Lagos instead of Abuja.I think it will be wise if some organization  such as Banks and Telecoms are made to move the Head Offices to Abuja .Thier Operational offices can remain in Lagos.

This will greatly decongest Lagos

What's your logic at suggesting that they move their headquarters to Abuja? If you understand the topic very well, you wouldnt have come up with such a rudimentary suggestion. Isn't the "concentration" of parastatals and institutions at a particular place partly responsible for the situation being discussed? For God sake, the constitution says "Federal republic of Nigeria" and not unitary republic of Abuja. Although the government has no right whatsoever to determine where a private company set up it base, however, the concentration of infrastructure in a particular city has to stop. The money wasted and continued being wasted at developing Abuja should have judiciously be used to develop more cities. Abuja itself is having problem coping with the pressure on her. Its a matter of time before it also degenerate. The spirit of maintenance should be inculcated into the psych of every Nigerian.

Now to the topic, I think the adjoining states should enter into a serious negotiation with Lagos. They should also come up with a strategy. Ogun state would the greatest profiteur if they cooperate with Lagos. I used to work in Otta in the early 1990s and the level of Industrialisation was quite remarkable. I hope these new governors learn to cooperate for the benefit of the general public. Lagos should also be looking at the option of going into the sky since it has very limited land to meet demand. Some people just have to loose their land/home to high rise buildings, like it was done in the 1970s on the Island. I nevertheless hope the land/home owners would be adequately compensated if the state go along that route.

There are many ways to decongest Lagos, the least is moving cooperate headquarters to Abuja.

teskyg:

they should move most of the headquarters of some COY to neighboring Sates.I am still surprise why Banks and Insurance COY still have their Head offices in Lagos instead of Abuja.I think it will be wise if some organization  such as Banks and Telecoms are made to move the Head Offices to Abuja .Thier Operational offices can remain in Lagos.

This will greatly decongest Lagos

Who are 'they'? You can compel any private business to move to anywhere. Companies wont move when there's not advantage, the sea port is still in lagos, financial companies have majority of their clients in Lagos with international partners having access via MMIA however derelict it get. They might have a second headquarters in Abuja though but expenses will shoot up as well. you also have to consider the talent pool,

Start-ups can take advantage if their service are remote like Airtel (or the company it outsourced to), i wonder why they will have call centres based in Abuja instead of cheaper places like Ilorin, Osun state for example where cost of living will be cheaper and they wont have that much of an issue when it comes to cost cutting

I like the direction of this thread…

There’s no denying that Lagos has decades of infrastructure head start when compared to almost every other state. However, just like Jason123 said earlier, other states don’t have to be like Lagos and should instead take advantage of their inherent capabilities.

As stated earlier, Ogun has the most to gain from Lagos due to its proximity, low population density and low housing cost. Abeokuta is only about 70km (50 miles) away from the center of Lagos which makes it well within a daily commute in most parts of the world with advanced transportation. Can you imagine if there’s a modern high speed rail that connects Abeokuta to Lagos?

Generally speaking, any state willing to attract businesses needs to provide (1) adequate security, (2) reliable infrastructure, and (3) tax incentives.

Calculia:

Na dat speculation of oil in Lake Chad region Jonathan suppose explore and if any expliot.  Nuff Said!

just google oil borno state

Oil and Gas Exploration
Borno State lies within the Chad Basin area and exploration for hydro carbon, that is oil and gas, has commenced as evidence abound on the the availability of oil and gas in the Basin. Oil and gas have already been discovered in the eastern and western parts of the basin in the neighbouring Republics of Niger and Cameroon.

http://www.commonwealth-of-nations.org/Nigeria/Organisation/Government/Regional_And_Local_Government/Borno

Port Harcourt is gradually suffering 4rm the same population problem as lagos, as people from all parts of the country are flooding in to seek greener pastures notably people from the east (igbos) who come wit thier business skills to boost the economy of the oil rich city except for some bunch of igbo criminals dat do come along also thereby wrecking havoc in the city (stealing cars & dismantling dem and other crime related activities) also people 4rm the north, west and other niger-delta states most especially people 4rm akwa-ibom. Now my big question is, is it that nuttin is really happening in other states apart 4rm lagos & port-harcourt?

dj187:

Port Harcourt is gradually suffering 4rm the same population problem as lagos, as people from all parts of the country are flooding in to seek greener pastures notably people from the east (igbos) who come wit thier business skills to boost the economy of the oil rich city except for some bunch of igbo criminals dat do come along also thereby wrecking havoc in the city (stealing cars & dismantling dem and other crime related activities) also people 4rm the north, west and other niger-delta states most especially people 4rm akwa-ibom. Now my big question is, is it that nuttin is really happening in other states apart 4rm lagos & port-harcourt?

i think crime has a direct relationship with population although the rate of crime in kano(second highest population) is low when compare to places like port harcount, lagos and now abuja.

jigawa state, ogun state and enugu are also trying to improve there states as well, according to SE nairalanders they said enugu is doing well, ( am not sure of that because the better the state, the more the population)

dj187:

Port Harcourt is gradually suffering 4rm the same population problem as lagos, as people from all parts of the country are flooding in to seek greener pastures notably people from the east (igbos) who come wit thier business skills to boost the economy of the oil rich city except for some bunch of igbo criminals dat  do come along also thereby wrecking havoc in the city (stealing cars & dismantling dem and other crime related activities) also people 4rm the north, west and other niger-delta states most especially people 4rm akwa-ibom. Now my big question is, is it that nuttin is really happening in other states apart 4rm lagos & port-harcourt?

A very good question. I know lots of SWestern people in UK that are planning to settle in Port harcourt when they come to Nigeria.

Other states are not taking advantage of their "situation". For instance, Ogun state should be the next big thing because of the increase in working class people that want cheap accommodation. This can ONLY be achieved of there is a FAST TRAIN FROM LAGOS TO OGUN!

Port harcourt will sooner, rather than later, become the next "Lagos". States such as Abia and Awka Ibom will be at the advantage.

We need  to "ECONOMICALLY INTEGRATE" these major cities. What I mean by this is, build a major FAST train from Ogun and Kwara (we need to be able to transport food fast) to Lagos, to Delta(Warri), Edo, to Port harcourt to Akwa Ibom (calabar to be specific), to Abia back to Delta(Asaba), then, a direct non-stop train to Kano, then, back to Lagos. Let Abuja remain the FCT for the thieves.

If this can be done, it will reduce the pressure on our roads, thus reducing traffic. It will also save time and as they say, "time is money". This will boost our revenue and will be sustainable in the long run.

Dem_people BABA,
Do you think any of our leaders want to relinquish power just like that? Take a look at GEJ, by the time he finishes his tenure, their will no federalism or resource control. The ND will go back to militancy. Aren't we back to square one