In recent discussions, sparked by the police killing of nine kidnappers in Lagos, some individuals have resurrected the discredited claim that Lagos’s development was solely due to the discovery of crude oil in the Niger Delta.
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An author and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has taken to debunking this narrative, using verifiable and traceable evidence to set the record straight.
A striking example of Lagos’s early development is Carter Bridge, a crucial infrastructure piece captured in a 1929 photograph, twenty-eight years after its construction in 1901.
According to Omokri, the bridge, still standing strong today, was built by the then colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, to address heavy vehicular traffic on Lagos Island, which previously relied on ferries to cross to Iddo.
Remarkably, as early as 1901, Lagos had more cars than the rest of Nigeria combined, demonstrating its advanced development even before the oil boom.
By the early 20th century, Lagos, along with a few other Nigerian cities like Ibadan, Lokoja, Kano, and Benin, had the necessary municipal administration, population density, and infrastructural development to be recognised as cities.
Most other areas, except for old Sokoto, Ile-Ife, Port Harcourt, Warri, Zungeru, and Abeokuta, were little more than large villages.
Those who arrived in Lagos after 1901 encountered a metropolis already equipped with modern infrastructure. The city boasted bridges, expressways, hospitals, a city hall, a cathedral (Cathedral Church of Christ Marina), Nigeria’s first electric power plant (built in Lagos in 1886), ports, courts, housing estates, public utilities, streetlights, sewage, and drainage systems. These developments firmly established Lagos as a leading urban centre in Nigeria.
Despite abundant photographic and video evidence, unfounded and provocative claims about Lagos’s development persist.
He mentioned that the narrative that Lagos is a “No Man’s Land” disrespects the legacy of its indigenous people and their ancestors.
He wrote:
In the wake of the killing by the police of nine killer kidnappers who had been wreaking havoc on Lagos, some persons have resurrected already discredited claims about the development of Lagos. And because our people have short memories, it is expedient to set the records once again straight, using verifiable and traceable evidence,
This photo of Carter Bridge was taken in 1929, twenty eight years after the bridge was constructed in 1901. Carter Bridge is still standing today, 123 years later. If you zoom into the photo, you can see how heavily developed Lagos Island was in 1929. The place where the bridge ends in this photo is Idumota.
Carter Bridge was built by the then colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, because of the heavy vehicular traffic in Lagos Island, which hitherto had to be ferried to Iddo in boats. As of 1901, there were actually more cars in Lagos than in the rest of Nigeria combined.
Mind you, this was long before oil was discovered in Nigeria. When Carter Bridge was completed, only Lagos, Ibadan, Lokoja, Kano, and Benin had sufficient municipal administration, population density, and infrastructural development to be called cities. Almost everywhere else, except for old Sokoto, Ile-Ife, Port Harcourt, Warri, Zungeru; and Abeokuta, were little more than large villages.
Anybody that came to Lagos after 1901 came to an already developed metropolis with bridges, expressways, hospitals, a city hall, a cathedral (Cathedral Church of Christ Marina), Nigeria’s first electric power plant, built in Lagos in 1886, ports, courts, housing estates, public utilities, streetlights, sewage and drainages, and other modern infrastructure.
And it is sad that despite multiple photographic and video evidence, people still make unfounded and provocative claims about developing Lagos or that that space is a No Man’s Land.
This photo is an almost 100 years old aerial image. It was taken from a plane, which means that Lagos had an airport (actually an airstrip) at that time. The people in those homes you see when you zoom in were mostly indigenous Lagosians. Appreciate them, and stop spitting on the faces of their ancestors by calling their land No Man’s Land.
Look, I know it will annoy you, but the truth is bitter, but certainly better like butter in batter!
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