excanny:

This is close to 3 hours that you put this thread up here, and those Yorubas who use to applaud you wherever you are bashing the Igbos are nowhere to be found. Take for a change that this post is criticizing the Igbos, you'll see how they'll flock in here in excitement. 

Ikengawo, I hope you are beginning to get an understanding of how other nigerians think. You seem like a fair-minded person(as most people in your shoe are), while the remaining nigerians live in denial.

It actually baffles me that many Igbos think like you do, feeling that others are open-minded as them. This is exactly my beef with the Igbo race(Nzeogwu, Ironsi, Zik, etc all ring a bell), never knowing how to differentiate friends from enemies.

I just hope you learn a lesson about your utopian Nigeria. 

excanny:

This is close to 3 hours that you put this thread up here, and those Yorubas who use to applaud you wherever you are bashing the Igbos are nowhere to be found. Take for a change that this post is criticizing the Igbos, you'll see how they'll flock in here in excitement.

I just hope you learn a lesson about your utopian Nigeria.

excanny:

Take for a change that this post is criticizing the Igbos, you'll see how they'll flock in here in excitement.

bk.babe97y:

So, if this was written about some Ibo land u'd take it as an affront and insult instead of analysis, the op's personal view, or constructive criticism?

Why Nigeria hasnt chased out you and your likes to the easternmost parts of the country is still beyond me. Beast!

fstranger3:

^^^

Take that bust down now before I report you to the mods

afam4eva:

For once i agree with Ikengawo. Lagos has overshadowed every other city in the south-west most especially Ibadan. Most people don't know that there a local airport in Ibadan but you never hear much about it because how many airlines will want to fly to Ibadan when there's lagos. Why would i want to live in Ogun state when there's lagos. But in the east i can choose between Enugu, Onitsha, Awka, Aba. Like he said there's sort of an equitable distribution of development unlike in the south-west where most of the development is centered nin Lagos and by extension it's affecting the emergence of other large cities in other parts of Nigeria. Lagos is to Nigeria what London is to the UK.

scholes0:

Dont worry, All those Developments like the Lekki Free trade Zone, The Eko atlsntic city, The Lagos Light rail, Malls and skyscrapers, they will all Move positions and distribute themselves equally into the other 5 Geo-political zones of Naija,  Isn't it  
Qua qua qua !!!
     

excanny:

This is close to 3 hours that you put this thread up here, and those Yorubas who use to applaud you wherever you are bashing the Igbos are nowhere to be found. Take for a change that this post is criticizing the Igbos, you'll see how they'll flock in here in excitement.

Ikengawo, I hope you are beginning to get an understanding of how other nigerians think. You seem like a fair-minded person(as most people in your shoe are), while the remaining nigerians live in denial.

It actually baffles me that many Igbos think like you do, feeling that others are open-minded as them. This is exactly my beef with the Igbo race(Nzeogwu, Ironsi, Zik, etc all ring a bell), never knowing how to differentiate friends from enemies.

I just hope you learn a lesson about your utopian Nigeria.

fstranger3:

^^^

ABi oro pe aba e ni Ogun state l'oti mold kini yen, awon baba nla temi ni Ife  ma ni won mold kini yen


O je lo sora e. Take it off now before I report you. You have no right. Awa oni nkan la n soro

eku_bear:

Na wa o. Look at this guy inserting tribalism into a thread primarily about demography, economics, and migration.

Everything he will want to see through tribal eyes

Ikengawo:

Through visits, eye witness accounts, and reading, it's clear that development of the average township or village in the southwest lags behind development in the average village or township in the southeast

i don't believe this is because somehow the southeast is 'better' then the southwest, or that any region reached it's point of development on 'purpose'. These are simply the laws of land pricing and economics coming into play, as well as a difference in natural resources and investment potential.

the #1 factor contributing to slower growth in places like Oyo, Ondo, and Osun is the existence of Lagos.

Think about it on simple terms. Why would I invest in any of these places, right next to a burgeoning metropolis of nearly 18 million modern people. Therefore, any yoruba man, or outside investor is a lot more inclined to take his business and attention to Lagos before ever considering Ibadan.

You will always reach the Ibadan market from Lagos business wise, and therefore the Southwest has no comparative advantage against Lagos. It's simply too powerful and promising to compete with and therefore will drain the human resources of it's immediate neighbors.

in the east, there's the luck of the draw in the fact that the region doesn't have 1 ultra powerful city, but instead several moderately promising ones. I won't be a fool investing in Owerri to reach on market and Enugu with my next investment to reach another, but it makes little logical sense to invest in Abeokuta when Lagos is right there and SO much more promising.

I believe in the future as land prices in Lagos become too high, the middle class grows, and living in the inner city becomes less sensible, the rest of the Southwest will boom exponentially from the suburban influx of middle class Lagosians flooding into their cities.

Missy85:

agree with OP. re Lagos sucking the life out of Ibadan & anything within 5-6hrs drive.

I understand in the 70s Ibadan was the largest(most populous?) city in sub-sahara africa. So how has it somehow disappeared off the raidar? As you rightly indicated, Lagos has brought it to its knees.

It's a big problem for d south west, as most of their investments are in Lagos & they are relaxed about it, which is ok.

Just to give u an example,  even in far away s.western states like Ondo & Ekiti, people are relaxed if a relative is based in Lagos. But tell them you are based in Minna or Aba, to them it's as good as being in Mali! They feel sad for you being so 'far away' from home lol. But they dont apply d same yardstick for Lagos.

But this 'lagos is home' thing is in reality a big downer for the other states, who really need to come out of d shadows of Lagos a bit. And there is plenty of potential in some of these states.

I notice for instance that Akure is almost equi-distant from Lagos & Abuja. Benin is just 2hrs down a relatively good motorway (at least on d Ondo side). Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti capital is 25mins from Akure, & it is difficult to enter Ekiti without passing through Akure. Most of the trucks from d north pass thru Akure on their way to Lagos. All of these factors should at least make Akure a fantastic regional/national distribution base with huge warehouses everywhere, & factories. But I dont see any of that.

And some of these politicians parade big qualifications, but can they see d big picture & actively promote/provide an enabling environment in their states?