Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that the state is welcoming over 6,000 new residents daily, with approximately 3,000 of them choosing to settle without established addresses.
During the 2024 Annual Directors Conference Dinner, Dr. Hamzat underscored the strain on Lagos’ resources due to its burgeoning population of 27 million, which is pushing its budget to N2.2 trillion (about $1.3 billion), a figure that is significantly lower than New York State’s $237 billion budget to support a population of 19.5 million.
As the representative of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Hamzat pointed out the stark financial differences between Lagos and other major international cities, highlighting that New York’s budget for child protective services alone is more than the total budgets of Lagos and five other Nigerian states. He argued that these financial constraints pose significant challenges in providing essential services and infrastructure to support Lagos’ rapidly expanding population.
Dr. Hamzat also linked some of Nigeria’s socioeconomic issues to a decline in family structures, noting that Lagos alone has more than 130,000 cases of men abandoning their families. “The family unit must be strengthened,” he emphasized, stating that the stability of the family is crucial for sustainable social development.
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