A lot of people have come out to make comments on the changing of street names in Lagos. Some say it is tribalistic, some say Lagos is no man’s land, and some may say it is unnecessary. The thing is, this matter has remote and immediate causes which provoked the actions made. Igbo-named streets are being changed to indigenous names, and I agree it has something to do with tribalism, but what if I tell you that it may not be in the way that you think I’m going?
The concept “Lagos is a no man’s land” is an outright disrespect to the indigenes of the place. Lagos is a Yoruba state and also a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of race, tribe, and religion. People come to the state to seek greener pastures because it’s a place where there are opportunities all over. If this place has a lot to offer, why then make such statements that will provoke the culture of the place?
This may seem unrelated, but this has its take in politics too. See, Peter Obi won Lagos, and this gave some of his supporters the nerve to make comments like “Lagos is being sold to the Igbos.” This will surely cause provocation, and I am sure that the youth have a part to play in this havoc.
One thing I’ve noticed about Nigerian youth is that most of us think that making fun of things is the best way to express ourselves. I noticed it in the past elections; there were a lot of trending videos of Tinubu, and a lot of influencers and streamers were making fun of him. The thing that makes the past generation of youth distinct from us is our lack of innovation and the way we complain.
Now, looking at the fact that they’ve changed these names, do I think it is right? Well, I feel like these streets were named after notable people of those communities and should have no business with tribal wars. Lagos, being the centre of excellence, is known to have produced a lot of successful people from all over the country. These places having non-indigenous names should be a pride to be carried as indigenes. Well, I may agree with the fact that it is unnecessary, but the issue has its causes. So, let’s not just jump into conclusions.
Oluwasore Alabi
