Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has made a passionate appeal to the National Assembly to grant the state a special status and officially recognize its 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaking at the South-West Zonal Public Hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, held in Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu—represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat—argued that Lagos deserves constitutional fairness due to its unique demographic and economic importance to the nation.
Sanwo-Olu criticized the imbalance in local government allocations, citing that while Lagos and Kano were both created in 1967, Kano now has 44 local governments and Jigawa, which was carved out of it in 1991, has 27, leaving Lagos still with only 20.
“As a nation, we cannot and should not continue to deceive ourselves,” he said. “We must be guided by the principles of inclusiveness, equity, and justice.”
The governor compared Lagos’s situation to other global examples, noting that cities like São Paulo and Jakarta were granted special statuses when their capital city roles changed.
“The 37 LCDAs we created in 2000 are like children. Can a child be 25 years old without a birth certificate? Let us get our birth certificates,” Sanwo-Olu declared.
He further challenged the accuracy of population figures from the 2006 census, arguing that Lagos’s Alimosho LGA alone had a population of over 1.3 million—nearly as much as the entire Bayelsa State.
He called for broader constitutional reforms, including genuine federalism, devolution of powers, judicial and electoral reforms, and the urgent need for state police.
“State policing is not semantics; it’s about protecting the people. So, let us have it,” he said.
Supporting the governor’s stance, former Lagos State Deputy Governor Prince Abiodun Ogunleye emphasized that Lagos had fulfilled all requirements to have its 37 LCDAs recognized. He also called for fiscal federalism that allows states more control over their resources.
Former Minister of Works, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, added that Lagos has the highest population in the country but suffers from having the fewest local government areas among its peers.
Traditional ruler Oba Semiu Kasali, the Adegboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, stressed the importance of including traditional institutions in the constitution and urged lawmakers to heed the voice of the people.
Similarly, APC chieftain and former Commissioner for Rural Development, Prince Lanre Balogun, joined the call for constitutional recognition of the LCDAs and the establishment of state police to combat growing security challenges.
In response, Dr. Ibrahim Isiaka, Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, assured that the National Assembly would carefully consider the issues raised.
Numerous stakeholders and leaders at the public hearing echoed support for a special status for Lagos and the recognition of its LCDAs in the constitution.
