The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has backtracked on his controversial description of Lagos as a “no-man’s land,” a comment that triggered widespread outrage after his Wednesday appearance on Arise Television.
Bwala, who addressed the backlash on his official X handle, admitted that Lagos State is historically and constitutionally the land of the Yoruba people.The legal practitioner also clarified that his words were misinterpreted.
According to him, Lagos’s identity has “never been in contention” and should not be distorted, even though the state remains Nigeria’s foremost commercial hub.
He said, “Don’t misinterpret what I said in my interview this morning. 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.”
Explaining his position further, Bwala likened Lagos to global economic powerhouses such as New York, Paris, and London, noting that the city plays a dual role as Nigeria’s commercial heartbeat and a cosmopolitan hub that welcomes citizens from every part of the country.
“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.