Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has renewed calls for Lagos to be granted a special status, citing its central role in Nigeria’s economy and the heavy infrastructural burdens it bears.
Speaking on Tuesday at the opening session of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s (RMAFC) on-the-spot assessment visit to the state, Sanwo-Olu—represented by his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat—said Lagos accounts for 33 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP and handles nearly 90 per cent of the country’s imports through the Apapa and Tin-Can ports.
He argued that despite this economic significance, the state shoulders the cost of road maintenance and other infrastructure around these facilities without commensurate federal support. “A suppression of amenities to Lagos citizens would harm the state and eventually the nation’s economy,” he warned.
The governor urged the RMAFC to recognise the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in revenue allocation, describing their role in accelerating grassroots development since their creation in 2003. He stressed the need for a fact-based approach to resource allocation rather than one driven by emotions.
RMAFC Federal Commissioner, Prof. Adekunle Wright, said the commission was in Lagos to assess its request for a stabilisation fund to support key infrastructure projects. He pledged commitment to transparent, data-driven resource allocation and acknowledged Lagos’ economic importance.
Earlier, Lagos Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, underscored the importance of monitoring statutory allocations for better planning and sustainable resource management. He revealed that the state has committed over ₦1.1 trillion to infrastructure but still faces a ₦20 trillion gap in critical sectors.
Oluyomi noted that Lagos’ GDP constitutes nearly half of Nigeria’s economy, warning that “whatever affects Lagos will affect the whole nation.”
He further called for continued federal support to strengthen the state’s budgeting and development framework.
