LAGOON STATE

The history of state creation in Nigeria date back to May 27, 1967 when the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon by virtue of State Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14 of 1967, created 12 State for the country. Lagos State is one of the states created by the said Decree No. 14 of 1967.

Prior to this date, Lagos Municipality has been administered by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs as the regional authority. Lagos State is an administrative region of Nigeria, located in the southwestern par of Nigeria.

Following further demand for the creation of state in the country, the Federal Military Government appointed a panel under chairmanship of Mr. Justice Ayo Irikefe on the 7^th August, 1975 to examine the question of the creation of more state in the federation; consequently, the Federal Government increased the number of Nigerian states from twelve to nineteen in Federal, 1976. Some of the states were split either into two or three with some boundary adjustment. However, Lagos State remained intact but its capital was moved to Ikeja.

It should be noted that in October 1960, when Nigeria become independent, Lagos was made the Federal Capital of the country. There were three regions namely: The Western, Eastern and the Northern Regions. These were later increased to four by the creation of Mid-Western Regions.

While these regions were autonomous and self-governing, Lagos was a federal territory. The people of LagosLagosLagos were governed directly by the Federal Government through Federal Legislation and through a minister for affairs who was not necessarily a Lagosian. However, the minister could at will dissolve the only council in i.e. the Lagos City Council.

Award of regional scholarship in the filed of education was a privilege of the regions Lagos was not a region. The so-called Federal allocation to Lagosians was not an allocation in reality, because the privilege was enjoyed mostly by persons of other regions resident in Lagos. Lagosians were in many ways handicapped. LagosWestern Nigeria after the introduction of ministerial form of Government in 1951. This situation involving deprivation of rights enjoyed by other Nigerians led to the agitation and struggle for the creation of Lagos State which included the city of Lagosand the old colony provinces of Ikeja, Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry. remained a federal capital even when it enjoyed a spell of autonomy as part of

However, the above cumulative constraints still abound in greater measures. The effects of modernization/urbanization, over-population and constraints foisted by Land Use Act leading to unprecedented acquisition of communal land, under development, illiteracy, unemployment, communal clashes, uneven distribution of resources, Marginalization, lack of access to justice, insecurity, transportation problems and under-development are problems greatly militating against the area agitating for the creation of Lagoon State.

Lagos state remain the only state yet to be divided since ?7. Other states of the federation with lesser population and human activity have been divided and states created out of them.

The smallest of Nigerian State, Lagos is the most populous state after Kano and arguably the most economically important state of the country. It comprises of 20 Local Government Area namely: - Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Kosofe, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, Ikorodu, Apapa, Eti-Osa, Lagos-Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere.

SUMMARY

NAME OF STATE: LAGOON STATE

MOTTO: EQUALITY & JUSTICE

CAPITAL: IKORODU/EPE AXIS

AREA: 2,408Sq. Km

POPULATON: 2,407, 000 (Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 24 Volume 94 dated 15^th May 2007)

LANGUAGE: YORUBA