*[Issued by the Yoruba Elders Progressive Council (YEPC)]*
The Igbo ethnic group in Lagos State has become a subject of growing concern, not because they are not Nigerians or because they have no right to live and work anywhere in the country, but because of the way they have increasingly begun to assert a kind of dominance and co-ownership in a land that is not originally theirs. Their presence in Lagos is not new, but in recent times, their actions and utterances have shifted from simply living and thriving in Lagos to making loud claims of co-ownership of the state. This change in tone and posture is what many Lagos indigenes now see as excessive, disrespectful, and provocative.
It is no longer news that the Igbo people are industrious and deeply involved in commerce and real estate. However, what used to be a story of hard work and success has taken a different turn. The manner in which they now acquire lands and properties across major parts of Lagos, sometimes in clusters and in strategic commercial areas, has raised serious alarm among true Lagosians. Some even boast of owning entire streets or blocks in places like Alaba, Trade Fair, Festac, and parts of Lagos Island, and use this to back their claims that Lagos is no longer solely a Yoruba or Lagosian land.
This aggressive push for property ownership is no longer just about investment or settlement. It is now being used to push a political and ethnic narrative. In the last general elections, many Igbo leaders and youths openly said that Lagos belongs to all, not to Lagosians alone. That statement may sound harmless on the surface, but when you understand what it implies, it becomes clear that it is an attempt to rewrite the cultural, historical, and political identity of Lagos. Owning property does not mean owning the land in ancestral terms. Buying land or building houses does not give anyone the right to claim co-ownership of a land whose history, culture, and traditions they did not inherit.
This trend is dangerous, and it must be addressed through legal, administrative, and cultural channels. The idea is not to chase anybody away or deny them the right to live and prosper, but to protect the identity of the land and the rights of the indigenes from being diluted, hijacked, or erased. When a guest starts claiming ownership of your father’s house just because you allowed him to stay long enough to build a shop in the compound, then something is fundamentally wrong. That is the situation Lagos is facing today with the overbearing behavior of the Igbo in many parts of the state.
One of the most important ways to address this situation is through land tenure reform. The current Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in Lagos grants ownership for 100 years. This law was made in ancient times to encourage development and long-term investments. But times have changed. The population of Lagos has grown, and the pressure on land has intensified. More importantly, the pattern of land acquisition by non-indigenes, especially the Igbo, has become political and strategic. They are not just buying land to live; they are buying land to claim space, dominance, and eventually control.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to review the law. The Lagos State House of Assembly must take steps to revoke and reduce the tenure of Certificate of Occupancy granted to non-indigenes or non-Yoruba-indigenes from 100 years to a more reasonable 25 years. After this 25-year period, the certificate should be subject to renewal, and such renewal should come at a cost. A fee of 15 percent of the current market value of the property should be paid at the time of renewal. This will ensure that ownership is not taken for granted and that the indigenes still have a say in how their land is used, transferred, or retained.
Let it be clear that this reform is not about discrimination or hatred. It is about protecting the ancestral stake of the people whose history and heritage cannot be bought with money. Lagos is a state of hospitality and openness, but even hospitality has its limits when it begins to threaten the host. The indigenes of Lagos cannot fold their arms and watch as their identity is redefined by settlers whose roots are elsewhere. They must rise, legally and peacefully, to put safeguards in place for the future.
Another important step that must be taken is to revoke and tighten the process of obtaining the Lagos State Certificate of Origin. Today, anyone can claim to be a Lagosian with little or no verification. This has allowed many non-indigenes to gain access to opportunities, land rights, and political leverage that should ordinarily be reserved for true sons and daughters of the soil. This loophole has been abused repeatedly, and it must be closed.
The process should be redesigned in such a way that only genuine indigenes, whose family lineage can be traced through recognized local institutions and elders, can obtain the certificate. The government should involve traditional rulers, community leaders, and local council records in the vetting process. There should be no automatic issuance of state of origin certificates just because someone was born in Lagos or has lived in the state for many years. Birth and residency do not equal indigeneship.
If these two reforms—land tenure limitation and stricter indigeneship verification—are implemented, the excesses of non-indigenes, especially the Igbos who are at the forefront of these ethnic encroachments, will be automatically curtailed. They will understand that Lagos is not a no-man’s land, and they will learn to relate with the land and its people with more respect and caution.
There is also a need for continuous public enlightenment. The people of Lagos must be reminded of their history. Our children must be taught that Lagos was not created in a vacuum. It has ancestors. It has traditional rulers. It has a heritage that cannot be erased by commercial activities or political collaborations. We must document and teach our history in schools, in the media, and in community meetings. We must make it clear that being accommodating does not mean being foolish, and that being peaceful does not mean being powerless.
At the same time, dialogue must continue. We must continue to engage non-indigenes in peaceful conversations about the limits of their rights and the need to respect the identity of the host community. These conversations must be honest and firm. We must not shy away from telling the truth because of political correctness. We must tell our guests that we welcome them, but not at the cost of our identity. We must make it known that you cannot come into a house and start rearranging the furniture, repainting the walls, and renaming the rooms.
All of this must be done within the law. The Nigerian Constitution allows freedom of movement, ownership, and settlement. But no law gives anyone the right to disrespect or override the rights of others. What we are proposing is not unconstitutional. It is well within the powers of state governments to regulate land tenure and control the issuance of state certificates. Other states do it. In the East, for example, it is almost impossible for a non-Igbo to own ancestral land, not to talk of making political claims. In the North, cultural boundaries are firmly protected. Lagos should do the same.
Furthermore, the economic implications of these reforms will be positive. With the new policy on Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Government stands to generate more Internally Generated Revenue through periodic renewals. This income can be channeled into public infrastructure and community development. It will also ensure that the land remains productive and is not hoarded or misused by absentee landlords. At the same time, it will discourage the concentration of land in the hands of a few powerful ethnic investors who use property as a tool of control.
Also, it will restore balance in property distribution. It will give true Lagosians a fairer chance to own land and participate in the economic progress of their state. Today, many indigenous Lagos youths cannot afford to buy land in their own ancestral communities because of high demand and skyrocketing prices caused by outside buyers. This injustice must be corrected, and it can only be corrected by deliberate policy intervention.
In sum, the growing ethnic excesses of the Igbo community in Lagos must not be ignored. Their overconfidence and bold claims to co-ownership of Lagos is as a result of their increasing control of land and political narratives. To stop this trend, we must act fast. We must review our land tenure laws. We must secure our identity through a stricter certificate of origin system. We must speak boldly and act lawfully. We must protect Lagos for the sake of our ancestors, for the pride of our culture, and for the dignity of future generations.
Let us not wait until we become strangers in our own land. Let us not wait until our silence becomes betrayal. Let us defend Lagos, not with violence, not with hate, but with policy, with law, with unity, and with wisdom. Let every Lagosian, young and old, rise up and say: Lagos is not for sale. Lagos is not a no-man’s land. Lagos has owners, and we are they.
*Signed________________*
Secretary General,
Yoruba Elders Progressive Council
