By Lanre Alfred
Editors and promoters of the influential global business and political magazine, The Economist, must be wondering what fate has befallen it since releasing, Wednesday, its annual Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index report wherein it claims that Lagos is the third worst city to live in after the war-torn cities of Damascus in Syria, and Tripoli in Libya. The report claimed, “Continued threats from groups like Boko Haram act as a constraint to improving stability in Lagos.” There has never been a Boko Haram attack in Lagos. Neither has the city of over 20 million people been under any militia attack in recent memory.
Discerning Lagosians and distinguished Nigerians across the world have been unsparing in censuring the magazine for what they consider a travesty of research. The stance of the Nigerians is understandable. According to the Times of Israel, “More than 250,000 Syrians living in the capital city, Damascus, and neighbouring cities have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.
More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other – as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.” Not just that, the United Nations stated that in some instances in Damascus, “Civilian gatherings have been deliberately targeted, constituting massacres. Hundreds of people were killed in August 2013 after rockets filled with the nerve agent sarin were fired at several agricultural districts around Damascus.” Similarly, Tripoli has known scant peace since the death of former Libyan president, Muammah Ghaddaffi in 2011. According to the Guardian, “Civil war between a militia coalition, Libya Dawn, which holds Tripoli, and the elected parliament in Tobruk has raged since the summer of 2014. It is a war that has left 5,000 dead, the economy in ruins, half a million homeless and the dreams of 2011 shattered.”
Conversely, Lagos has never been at war. A large number of Nigerians thus found it baffling and disturbing that a magazine that claims to offer authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science and technology would lump Lagos with Tripoli and Damascus. Michael Ladipo, a Nigerian student at the University of Bradford, England, says, “The report seems very vague and doesn’t seem to make any sense. As it is, I am probably more likely to get mugged, shot or discriminated against in a UK or US city than in Lagos. I don’t watch my back when in Lagos but I do when I travel to the US or UK. So, I think this is inaccurate.” K-Addy Noble, another respondent from Melbourne described as the most liveable city in the world, wondered, “How about all those inner cities, big cities in the USA like Chicago, Detroit and co; Sao Polo and Rio De Janeiro in Brazil; the drug cities of Mexico even Johannesburg in South Africa and the Durban homeland areas where women are not free to move at will and especially at night? How about Pakistan and Iraqi cities where terrorist organizations rule the land? How much terrorism have we recorded in Epe except the Epe students kidnap saga that was peacefully resolved?” He continued, “Yes, I live in Melbourne but it’s not stable in terms of climatic conditions compared to those warm tropical countries. So, please, do not stigmatize Lagos, the city that accommodates all and never turns away any.” In the same vein, George Iloba, an avid social media user sums it up, “Who are these unscrupulous arm chair researchers churning out mischievous and fallacious statistics and negative generalization about Lagos, Nigeria? I can think of multiple war-torn cities that are ‘unliveable’ and Lagos is not one of them, the person who wrote this list is a joker.”
Indeed, since his emergence in 2015 as governor of Lagos State, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has embarked on massive infrastructural renewal and rejuvenation. Last year alone, the capital expenditure for the state was N383, 678 billion while for the 2017 fiscal year, N512.464billion was dedicated to capital expenditure, representing a ratio of 63 percent of the budget. This has resulted in new roads and bridges which have combined to lessen or eschew in some places, traffic on major roads. In his reaction, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, advised the Federal Government of Nigeria to emulate Lagos. He said, “Lagos’ role on the economic future of Nigeria is critical than what people think of the Niger-Delta region. Lagos is attracting investors and the economy of the state is advancing compared to what is applicable in the rest of the country. Lagos has just recently earned the status of an oil producing state as the federal government approved four oil wells in the state. This amounts to a boost in the economy of the state and the country’s.” If the Economist knew the very candid, no-nonsense Emir well enough, they would know this was no mere sophistry.
