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By Oscar Okhifo
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Mr Daniel Bwala has retracted his controversial remark describing Lagos as a “no-man’s land,” a statement that stirred widespread backlash after his appearance on Arise Television on Wednesday.
In a clarification posted on his official X handle, Bwala acknowledged that Lagos is historically and constitutionally Yoruba land, stressing that its cultural identity is “settled and beyond dispute.”
“Don’t misinterpret what I said in my interview this morning. Culturally, historically, and constitutionally, Lagos belongs to the Yoruba people, and that has never been in contention,” he wrote. “The unique identity of Lagos as a Yoruba homeland is settled and beyond dispute.”
Bwala explained that his earlier comments were misunderstood, noting that his position was to highlight Lagos’s dual role as both Nigeria’s commercial hub and a cosmopolitan city that accommodates citizens from all regions.
He likened Lagos to global metropolises such as New York, London, and Paris, describing it as the nation’s economic heartbeat while maintaining its Yoruba heritage.
“What I emphasised was the special place Lagos occupies in Nigeria and indeed West Africa, a city that serves as the commercial nerve centre of our economy,” he stated. “Lagos provides every Nigerian, regardless of origin, a level playing field to thrive, and in this sense, it mirrors the diversity of our nation while remaining firmly rooted in Yoruba heritage.”
Bwala further argued that any Nigerian president who seeks success must deliberately invest in Lagos because of the enormous economic and social responsibilities the state carries on behalf of the country.
“Such support is not because Lagos is ‘no man’s land,’ but because it is the heartbeat of the nation’s development,” he clarified.
His earlier interview on Arise Television’s Daybreak programme had triggered criticism after he described Lagos as a “no-man’s land” and “the pride of Nigeria’s economy.”
Defending federal spending in Lagos, Bwala had insisted that the N3.9 trillion worth of projects allocated to the state over two years was justified, stressing that investments in Lagos translate into benefits for the entire nation.
“Lagos is the hub of Nigeria. Lagos is the pride of the country,” he said, pointing to its cosmopolitan nature. “The richest man in Africa is a northerner, but his business is not in Kano, it’s in Lagos. Almost every rich Nigerian has a business undertaking in Lagos, and the Nigerian people are represented there.”
Despite the backlash, Bwala maintained that his central argument remains that Lagos deserves special infrastructural support, not because it lacks ownership, but because it is Nigeria’s commercial powerhouse.