Why are Nigerian states mostly one-city states?

As far as I can remember, only Abia (Umuahia and Aba), Anambra (Awka and Onisha), Akwa Ibom (Uyo and Ikot Ekpene), Delta (Asaba and Warri) states can boast of having more than one city (note that these are cities by Nigeria's low standards).

The rest states just have capital cities and some towns.

Ibadan (capital of Oyo) by now should have had good city-status challengers in Ogbomosho and Oyo (town), both renown ancient towns.

Almost the entire Lagos is a city (with associated slums dotting the landscape). Lekki and Badagry are mere towns. Nsukka should have developed to its full potential as the houser of the University named after of Nigeria. Arochukwu, after serving as the conduit from where slaves were taken out should have developed better. Still as moribund as ever.

Why do big states like Kano and Kaduna still suffer from this menace of one-city status? Edo is another case. Benin city is such an ancient city that Edo state should by now have developed another city somewhere around Ekpoma, Auchi etc.

I am also thoroughly ashamed of Rivers State. PH is the only thing happening there. As for Bayelsa, it actually has no city; Yenagoa is a glorified town.

Ogun state is one exceptional case.
Abeokuta.
Sagamu.
Ijebu ode.
Otta.
Ilaro.

I think people tend to move to concentrated cities and abandoning the rest of the state. It makes more sense because there is more interaction with different people than just a small community.

Also traders love high concentration of people and thus they migrate there. same applies to buyers who love the high variety of produces with easy accessibly and also migrate.

kaduna has kaduna city and zaria.

@Asha 80
How much of a city is Zaria, even by Nigerian standard?

Andre Uweh:

Ogun state is one exceptional case.
Abeokuta.
Sagamu.
Ijebu ode.
Otta.
Ilaro.

Please stop being funny.

Nchara:

is Asha 80
How much of a city is Zaria, even by Nigerian standard?

well i cannot say but from map outline i think it follows

Nchara:

Please stop being funny.

Am not funny, but my good knowledge of Ogun state makes me believe that Ijebu Ode and Sagamu requires city status along side Abeokuta.

Nchara:

@Asha 80
How much of a city is Zaria, even by Nigerian standard?

lmao its a city o

asha 80:

well i cannot say but from map outline i think it follows

Well, I believe Zaria is in the same category with the Ijebus (Ode, Ijesha, Mushin etc) Arochukwu, Afikpo, Oyo town, Ogbomosho, Ogoja etc, all towns with variations in land mass and population

Andre Uweh:

Am not funny, but my good knowledge of Ogun state makes me believe that Ijebu Ode and Sagamu requires city status along side Abeokuta.

Is it not the same Sagamu you pass by while going to Lagos? I beg leave matter. As for Ijebu, it is an admixture of towns (Ode, Ijesha, Mushin).

@ topic


No idea why.

alj_harem:

I think people tend to move to concentrated cities and abandoning the rest of the state. It makes more sense because there is more interaction with different people than just a small community.

Also traders love high concentration of people and thus they migrate there. same applies to buyers who love the high variety of produces with easy accessibly and also migrate.

Why do all U.S. states have  4, 5, 6 and more cities? Or do you think Americans do not move about within the country?

Intriguing question. What is your definition of a city,

JamesDoe:

Intriguing question. What is your definition of a city,

Hardly any single definition of a city. But I believe just land mass (especially when sparsely populated) is not one of the considerations for being a city.

Anyways, I hope you understand my post. We are talking about Nigeria.

JamesDoe:

Intriguing question. What is your definition of a city,

- Planned buildings and road networks

- Managed by a 'mayor' and not an LG chairman

- government-aided commerce

- Seperate budget from other LGA's

- Population density over 50% more than atleast 33% of the state combined

- In ancient English times, a city must contain a cathedral.

@OP
I might be wrong but I think it has to do with the past orientation, ethnic diversity and wealth.

What I meant by[b] past orientation[/b] is previous empires, kingdoms etc. For example, the Hausas, because they were all under one ruler (the Sarduna), you'll expect them to have one major town. They are dependent on each other, like a team. The Igbo on the other hand have been independent, hence, you have lots of cities. The Yoruba is a mixture of the two.

Ethnic diversity: A state like Delta where you have more than 2 ethnic groups, you'll expect at least two towns for economic and ethnic "balance" within the State. No group wants to be left out. While Lagos contains all the ethnic groups in Nigeria, hence, you have a city-state!

Wealth: The is a strong correlation between ethnic diversity and wealth. Those two feed and reinforce each other. The more wealthy a state is, the likelier the chance of having more than one city.

Ejiné:



- Planned buildings and road networks

- Managed by a 'mayor' and not an LG chairman

- government-aided commerce

- Seperate budget from other LGA's

- Population density over 50% more than atleast 33% of the state combined

- In ancient English times, a city must contain a cathedral.

like I said, there is no single definition. In Nigeria, local political influence (in relation to neighbouring towns), population size, business development (banks, industries, standard shopping centers etc), schools at all levels, hospitals will be some (not all) of the considerations

I think most of the cities in Nigeria today grew from 1) market towns; 2) govt fiat or 3) around a prominent ruler.

My theory:

Nigeria has been poor when it comes to Urban planning. Most Nigerian states work under a "trickle down" system with the administrators at each heirachy dependent on the centre. In colonial time, there was something called a colonial officer who made/authorised purchases for the towns etc. This  created a dependency on the "city" within the states.

The places you would see having a big town competing with the "city" in the same state usually was a "market town" that did not have a "missionary settlement or colonial structure" or had a major traditional ruler.

jason123:

@OP
I might be wrong but I think it has to do with the past orientation, ethnic diversity and wealth.

What I meant by[b] past orientation[/b] is previous empires, kingdoms etc. For example, the Hausas, because they were all under one ruler (the Sarduna), you'll expect them to have one major town. They are dependent on each other, like a team. The Igbo on the other hand have been independent, hence, you have lots of cities. The Yoruba is a mixture of the two.

Ethnic diversity: A state like Delta where you have more than 2 ethnic groups, you'll expect at least two towns for economic and ethnic "balance" within the State. No group wants to be left out. While Lagos contains all the ethnic groups in Nigeria, hence, you have a city-state!

Wealth: The is a strong correlation between ethnic diversity and wealth. Those two feed and reinforce each other. The more wealthy a state is, the likelier the chance of having more than one city.

Bulllshit from NL's no1 two faced bullshitter!! Lagos is not a city state because many Igbos, Hausas, Itsekiris, Ijaws, Tiv, Nupe, Fulani, Efik, Berom, Igbira, Igala people moved there; duncy!! Lagos is a city state because of the business activities in Lagos encouraged by the sea and the less territorial attitude of the Yorubas. No? Find the next lake,

By your logic, Rivers state should be a city state too because many people from all over Nigeria are there too. Seriously find a lake close!!

pathetic

Ikeja and most of mainland used to be part of Western Region. It was in the late sixties (Gowon) that it was carved out to join Lagos Island (FCT). Abuja became the FCT in 1976 (seat of Govt moved completely in 1991).

The Western Region and Lagos has a history of "urbanisation" that predates colonialism eg Ibadan.

JamesDoe:


The Western Region and Lagos has a history of "urbanisation" that predates colonialism eg Ibadan.

Therein lies the question of why did Ogbomosho and Oyo (for e.g.,) not get to Ibadan status? What stunted their growth? Same for other pre-colonial places like Kano, Benin, Zaria, Borno etc.

Two faced, three asses licking liar!!

Like someone pointed out to retards on here, Island was the capital not the Western Region (Lagos mainland was Western region). The mainland was part of the western region (Yoruba region after Bendel was carved out)

Go to Calabar now,

No one will believe that Borno is the same place we studied in ancient WA history- all that El' Kanemi stuff . Borno, Kano, Zaria, Oyo (state), Benin, Ife should have outpaced themselves in development by now. But they remain some of the most backward cities (or states) in Nigeria

Indeed, Nigeria is a stunter of growth.

Nchara:

No one will believe that Borno is the same place we studied in ancient WA history- all that El' Kanemi stuff . Borno, Kano, Zaria, Oyo (state), Benin, Ife should have outpaced themselves in development by now. But they remain some of the most backward cities (or states) in Nigeria

Indeed, Nigeria is a stunter of growth.

You seem so hell bent on painting others as not growing at all, I guess all the Arochukwu villages are El dorados uhh

Oh! Is this a tribal thread? Na wah,

Ok, I'm out. I'm not going to play that "my d.i.c.k. Is bigger than yours game !

9jaganja:

You seem so hell bent on painting others as not growing at all,  I guess all the Arochukwu villages are El dorados uhh

I have talked about Arochukwu and similar places I believe. Can we discuss without injecting tribalism where there is none? Thanks

BTW most SE and SS (except Benin) are baby cities compared to the ancient cities in the SW and North.

Nchara:

I have talked about Arochukwu and similar places I believe. Can we discuss without injecting tribalism where there is none? Thanks

BTW most SE and SS (except Benin) are baby cities compared to the ancient cities in the SW and North.

NO THEY ARE NOT; stop trying to be modest with sarcasm, Appreciate something not compare. No one is happy with the way Nigeria is and I'm sure you ain't unless you are one of those "Nigeria must fall for Biafra to happen" folks which I will take my chance that you are not,

9jaganja:

NO THEY ARE NOT; stop trying to be modest with sarcasm, Appreciate something not compare. No one is happy with the way Nigeria is and I'm sure you ain't unless you are one of those "Nigeria must fall for Biafra to happen" folks which I will take my chance that you are not,

The oldest city in the entire SE is Enugu (founded in 1900 or so). Can you compare that to Ibadan Kano, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Benin and even Ife?

BTW, do you see Biafra in everything?

Nchara:

The oldest city in the entire SE is Enugu (founded in 1900 or so). Can you compare that to Ibadan Kano, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Benin and even Ife?

BTW, do you see Biafra in everything?

ok so I don't want to get into the debate with you. But here is my exit question. Did SE come into existence in 1900? I bet you it isn't, Man ancient kemet cities vanished does that mean anything in terms of developmental problems? NO!!!

Where are the earliest SE settlements today?

I don't see Biafra in everything olodo, I used it to qualify an attitude I see on NL from Biafra cryers.

9jaganja:

ok so I don't want to get into the debate with you. But here is my exit question. Did SE come into existence in 1900? I bet you it isn't,  Man ancient kemet cities vanished does that mean anything in terms of developmental problems? NO!!!

Where are the earliest SE settlements today?

I don't see Biafra in everything  olodo, I used it to qualify an attitude I see on NL from Biafra cryers.

Igbos never lived in large cohesive communities like the Yoruba and the North, hence you hardly find any known Igbo town city before the coming of the colonialists. One reason you should learn other people's history in addition to yours. The earliest Igbo settlements are still there as villages. Most, if not all,  SE cities/towns are not more than 100 + years old.