Bwala backtracks on Lagos ‘no-man’s land’ comment, says state Yoruba land

Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has retracted his earlier claim that Lagos is “a no-man’s land,” clarifying that the state is historically and constitutionally the homeland of the Yoruba people.

Bwala, who serves as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, issued the clarification on his official X handle after backlash trailed his comments on Arise Television’s Daybreak programme on Wednesday.

“Culturally, historically, and constitutionally, Lagos belongs to the Yoruba people, and that has never been in contention. The unique identity of Lagos as a Yoruba homeland is settled and beyond dispute,” Bwala stated.

He said his remarks were misinterpreted and explained that his intention was to stress Lagos’s cosmopolitan nature and critical economic role, likening it to global hubs such as New York, Paris, and London.

“What I emphasised was the special place Lagos occupies in Nigeria and indeed West Africa, a city that, much like New York, Paris, or London, serves as the commercial nerve centre of our economy,” he noted.

According to Bwala, Lagos remains Nigeria’s heartbeat of commerce, offering opportunities to all Nigerians while retaining its Yoruba heritage. He added that his central argument was that any president who hopes to succeed must invest significantly in Lagos.

“Such support is not because Lagos is ‘no-man’s land,’ but because it is the heartbeat of the nation’s development,” he clarified.

Bwala’s original comment on Arise TV had described Lagos as “a no-man’s land” and justified the concentration of federal projects worth N3.9 trillion in the state as necessary investment in the country’s commercial hub.

He had also said, “The richest man in Africa is a northerner. His business is not in Kano, it’s in Lagos. Almost every rich man that you know in Nigeria has a business undertaking in Lagos.”

The clarification appears aimed at calming the controversy stirred by his earlier remarks, which provoked criticism across social and political circles.