Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has come out swinging against critics who often blame Lagos State for being “favoured” by the Federal Government at the expense of other states.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Omokri declared that “Lagos is not responsible for your state’s poverty”, urging Nigerians to direct their frustrations to their state governments instead of targeting Lagos.
According to him, Lagos’ success story is rooted in visionary governance and bold investments by the state, not federal handouts.
“If Lagos is rich because of ports, then Rivers State should be wealthier than Lagos going by that flawed logic,” Omokri wrote.
He pointed out that Rivers State has two major seaports — Port Harcourt and Onne — with Onne Port alone responsible for a large chunk of Nigeria’s exports. Despite this, Rivers has not reached Lagos’ level of prosperity.
Omokri argued that Lagos thrives because of state-backed projects such as:
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The $21 billion Lekki Free Trade Zone, which attracted Aliko Dangote’s $19 billion refinery.
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The $6 billion Eko Atlantic City, now Africa’s most expensive commercial real estate.
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The Lagos Blue, Red, and Green rail lines worth $5 billion, built without federal assistance.
He also noted that Lagos contributes almost half of Nigeria’s VAT (₦2.78 trillion), yet only receives back about ₦460 billion — just 16% of its contribution.
“Rather than being the source of your state’s poverty, Lagos is the reason for your state’s prosperity,” Omokri added.
Beyond numbers, Omokri praised Lagos for offering inclusive governance, citing above-minimum-wage payments, free public schools, soup kitchens across LGAs, and open access to health facilities for Nigerians regardless of origin.
The outspoken commentator concluded with a blunt message: “If you want a Nepali-style protest in Nigeria, start from your state of origin, not Lagos.”
