The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has claimed that the Igbos developed Lagos into what it is today and are the heroes of Lagos.
In a video that has gone viral, Iwuanyanwu said Igbo people came to Lagos when it was made the capital of Nigeria and invested heavily in the state. He said the Igbos met Lagos as a swamp and developed it into what it is today.
While describing Igbos as the heroes of Lagos, Iwuanyanwu said, ‘’Lagos was accepted as the capital of Nigeria. Igbos, most of them are dead today, our forebears rose to the challenge. The challenge at that time was an investment, massive investments to make the capital Lagos a proper, befitting headquarters for Nigeria.
“That is how Igbos scattered all over, moved into Lagos by a sense of patriotism. Igbos came into Lagos, found some swampy land, and bought the Land. Igbos when they came into Lagos, they never came there to take anybody’s property. They came there, bought the land, and converted swampy land into habitable places. They built businesses, they built homes, schools, they developed Lagos.
“In effect, without the enterprise, of the patriotism of Nigerians like the Igbos, many other Nigerians did the same but it will appear that because of population, Igbos were in large numbers. These pioneers, our forebears are the heroes of the time, the heroes of what we call today a very strong Lagos. When they came there, Lagos was basically swampy but they converted it into a very wonderful, beautiful headquarters we see today in Nigeria.”
Lagos was the Federal capital of Nigeria until it was moved to Abuja on December 12, 1991.