Tinubu’s Lagos Blueprint: A Nation Trapped in Poverty, Crime and Hopelessness.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | saharaweeklyng.com

From beggarly elders to radicalized youths, Nigeria now bleeds under a system designed to enslave not empower.

Introduction: The Lagos Template Now Nationalized.

The tragedy unfolding in Nigeria today is not a coincidence; it is the product of a carefully designed system that has its roots in Lagos, under the political blueprint of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What Lagos became under Tinubu’s political dominance is exactly what Nigeria is becoming under his presidency: a society where the elderly are condemned to perpetual penury and forced into humiliating dependence, while the youth are stripped of opportunity and dignity, reduced to survival through street crime, political thuggery and economic delinquency.

This is not leadership. This is systemic entrapment. It is the deliberate entrenchment of poverty as a political weapon. And it is Tinubu’s dream for Nigeria.

A System That Abandons the Elderly.
Nigeria’s senior citizens, after decades of service and sacrifice, should be living with dignity. Instead, the Lagos model that Tinubu pioneered perfected the art of abandoning retirees to their fate. Pensioners in Lagos once staged countless protests, sleeping on the streets, begging for arrears that never came. Even as recently as 2022, Lagos retirees cried out about unpaid pensions running into billions of naira. The situation is mirrored nationally today, with federal retirees owed months of arrears under Tinubu’s government.

Professor Claude Ake, the late renowned political economist, once wrote, “In Nigeria, poverty is not accidental; it is a political instrument.” Tinubu’s Lagos exemplified this. A system that keeps the elderly poor ensures they remain dependent on political “favors” rather than demanding accountability. Today, Nigeria’s aged are trapped in exactly that cycle – HOPELESS BEGGARS, PATHETIC PREY of a PREDATORY SYSTEM.

Youth Radicalization: From Potential to Political Weapons.
Nowhere is the collapse more visible than in the fate of Nigeria’s youth. Lagos was the laboratory for converting unemployed young men into political foot soldiers. The “AREA BOYS ” phenomenon did not emerge by chance; it was nurtured and weaponized. These boys became the machinery for electoral dominance, used to intimidate voters, suppress opposition and guarantee Tinubu’s grip on Lagos politics.

Today, Nigeria is experiencing the same blueprint, just at a national scale. Youth unemployment officially stands at over 53% (NBS, 2024), the highest in West Africa. When opportunities vanish, desperation thrives. Many of these youths now survive on political crime gigs; ballot snatching, thuggery, fake protests and cyber fraud.

As Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka once warned, “When you rob the youth of hope, you create an army of the damned.” Nigeria’s streets are filling with precisely that army, radicalized not by ideology but by systemic hopelessness.

The Lagos “Success Story” – A Manufactured Myth.
Supporters of Tinubu like to trumpet Lagos as his success story, but the facts tell a different tale. While Lagos generates Nigeria’s highest internal revenue, its wealth is scandalously concentrated in the hands of a few. Slums expand as fast as luxury estates rise. Public schools are overcrowded and underfunded. Health facilities are collapsing. The wealth of Lagos is captured by a political cartel, while the masses remain in urban squalor.

The World Bank (2022) noted that Lagos alone accounts for 10% of Nigeria’s extreme poor, despite being its richest state. This paradox is no accident; it is the very essence of Tinubu’s model: capture revenue, privatize wealth, and weaponize poverty.

Nationalization of the Lagos Formula.
What Lagosians endured is now what Nigerians nationwide are enduring. Tinubu’s presidency has elevated the Lagos formula into national policy. Fuel subsidy removal was announced without safety nets, throwing millions into poverty overnight. Inflation now gallops above 34% (NBS, August 2025), with food inflation hitting 41%. The naira has collapsed beyond recognition, pushing families into starvation.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports confirm that over 71 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty; a figure that has worsened under Tinubu’s short rule. Rather than addressing this, his administration doubles down on BORROWING, CORRUPTION and PROPAGANDA.

Professor Pat Utomi, a respected economist, warned: “Nigeria is being run as a fiefdom of political cartels rather than as a nation for its citizens. We are witnessing the privatization of the commonwealth.” That is precisely what Tinubu perfected in Lagos and what he now executes on a larger scale.

Crime as Economy, Poverty as Policy.
When citizens are denied legitimate livelihoods, illegitimate ones become inevitable. Street crime in Lagos during Tinubu’s reign was legendary, from the reign of “AREA BOYS” to the rise of violent gangs. Rather than dismantle this structure, Tinubu absorbed it into the political machine. Crime was not fought; it was managed, redirected and deployed.

Nigeria today is reaping the harvest of that experiment. Armed robbery, kidnapping, cyber-crime and political thuggery are thriving industries. The government’s silence and complicity are deafening. According to the Global Organized Crime Index (2023), Nigeria ranks among the top ten countries in the world for organized crime. This is no coincidence; it is the natural outcome of institutionalizing poverty and weaponizing youths.

The Elderly as Collateral Damage.
What is even more disturbing is how Nigeria’s senior citizens are treated. While political elites live in obscene luxury, pensioners are owed arrears, denied healthcare and left to die in penury. In Lagos, elderly retirees were often seen collapsing at rallies or protests demanding their dues. This inhumanity is now nationwide.

The United Nations (2024) report on aging in Africa noted that Nigeria has one of the highest elderly poverty rates globally. Rather than designing welfare systems, Tinubu’s government has continued the Lagos culture of abandonment. The message is clear: Nigeria eats its old and enslaves its young.

Global Comparisons: Leadership or Entrapment?

Around the world, true leaders invest in the future. Rwanda, for instance, transformed itself from genocide ruins to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies by investing in healthcare, education, and digital innovation. Singapore rose from a swamp to a first-world nation through visionary leadership and meritocracy.

Nigeria, under Tinubu, is heading in the opposite direction. Poverty is deepening, institutions are collapsing and the social fabric is tearing. This is not leadership, it is political parasitism.

As Chinua Achebe once observed, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” That failure has now reached its most devastating expression under Tinubu’s presidency.

Final Verdict: Breaking Free from the Blueprint.
Nigeria must confront an uncomfortable truth: Tinubu’s Lagos blueprint is not a path to development but a trap of underdevelopment. It is a system designed to keep the elderly in beggarly penury and the youth in criminal radicalization, while a political cartel enriches itself.

The question is whether Nigerians will continue to tolerate this or rise to dismantle it. The stakes are existential. A nation that abandons its old and enslaves its young is a nation without a future.

History will not forgive silence. As the late Nelson Mandela warned, “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”

Tinubu’s Nigeria is man-made poverty; DELIBERATE, ENTRENCHED and SYSTEMIC. But it can and must, be dismantled. The time is now.

NEDC Under Goni Rated Most Transparent Agency in Nigeria

The West Africa Crisis Writers Network (WACWN) has crowned the North East Development Commission (NEDC) as Nigeria’s gold standard for transparency and governance excellence.

In a statement signed by Messr Agba James, the group said the recognition marks eight transformative years since the NEDC’s inception, from a region once shrouded in despair to a model of hope and progress under the stewardship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Managing Director Mohammed Goni Alkali.

According to James, the NEDC stands out as Nigeria’s most transparent agency due to its rigorous commitment to open governance and accountability.

Under Goni Alkali’s leadership, the statement noted that the NEDC has implemented a robust framework that includes regular public reporting of financial expenditures, project timelines, and outcomes, ensuring that every naira spent is traceable and every initiative is measurable.

Furthermore, James said the NEDC’s track record is reinforced by its collaborative approach, partnering with state governments, federal agencies, and international bodies while inviting independent audits to validate its operations.

“Eight years ago, the Northeast presented a harrowing sight. Villages stood abandoned like ghostly relics, schools gaped with shattered windows and sagging doors, and hospitals fell silent where life once pulsed,” James said.

“The stark reality of over 1.5 million children denied education painted a picture of a region, once home to ancient empires, reduced to scattered communities and fading dreams.

“Yet, the resilient spirit of the Nigerian people ignited a turnaround that has captured global attention. Since its founding, the NEDC has evolved from an emergency response into a powerhouse of renewal, guided by the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) 2020-2030.

“This robust 10-year strategy, featuring 529 meticulously crafted projects across 11 pillars, has delivered over 700 completed initiatives across the six states.”

The statement added that under Alkali’s astute leadership, the Commission has woven together humanitarian aid, long-term development, and peacebuilding into a cohesive vision that is reshaping the region.

“The education sector stands as a shining example of this transformation. Confronted with the crisis of 1.5 million out-of-school children, the NEDC launched an ambitious reconstruction program, building 18 mega schools per senatorial district,” James stated.

“Ari Kime Primary School in Potiskum, now Nigeria’s largest, serves over 20,000 children with 12 new classroom blocks, staff quarters, toilets, a clinic, and solar streetlights—turning a symbol of neglect into a hub of opportunity.

“At Yobe State University, a 250-seat lecture theatre and upgraded computer centers elevate learning, while Taraba State University’s Institute of Entrepreneurship Skills Acquisition, Innovation, Research, and Digitalisation equips youth for the future.

“With specialised training for 600 Tsangaya and Islamiyya teachers and capacity-building for 100,000 educators, the NEDC ensures a lasting educational legacy.

“Healthcare has also seen a remarkable revival. The upgraded Borno Central Medical Store now ensures medicine reaches the needy, while new clinics, remodelled hospitals, and specialised facilities—like dental and eye hospitals, a malnutrition center in Kushere, and an ophthalmology institute at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital in Bauchi—offer renewed hope.

“The accident and emergency complex at Modibbo Adama Teaching Hospital in Yola and a 40-room labour ward at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital have become lifelines, supporting mothers and saving lives.

“Infrastructure projects have fuelled economic recovery, with the 32km Dabna-Garkida Road, Alkaleri-Futuk Road, and Zabarmari-Ngowom Road enhancing connectivity.

“Over 3,500 homes for low-income families provide safe havens, while 219 solar-powered boreholes and 13,505 streetlights illuminate communities.

“Agricultural support, including water pumps, herbicides, and cleared irrigation canals, has revived farmland, complemented by the multi-billion-naira cattle markets in Soro and Kukareta.

“The introduction of electric vehicles and buses signals a bold step toward sustainability. Security and governance have been bolstered with new police stations in Konduga and Bama, equipped barracks, and accommodations for personnel, fostering confidence in recovered areas.”

The group, however, urged Goni Alkali never to change his ideology, remaining transparent at all times.

Lagos Lawmakers Call For Financial Autonomy For Local Government Legislative Arm

Members of the Lagos State Assembly have called for financial autonomy for the legislative arms of the Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) throughout the state.

The call was made at the Plenary session on Tuesday, September 16, presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa.

The motion, titled “Call for Financial Independence for the Legislative Arms of Local Government Areas and LCDAs in Lagos,” was introduced by Hon. Sanni Babatunde, the Chairman of the Committee on Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development.

Hon. Babatunde underscored that the legislative arm at the local level plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s democratic framework, bearing constitutional responsibilities for law-making, oversight, and constituency representation.

Contributing to the discussion, Hon. Obafemi Saheed highlighted that the 1999 Constitution emphasizes the separation of powers, asserting that granting autonomy at the local level would enhance representation, oversight, and independence, aligning it with practices at the state and federal levels. He argued that such measures would foster good governance at the grassroots.

Hon. Temitope Adewale, OON, who supported the motion, stressed that councilors perform functions comparable to those of state legislators. He expressed concern that many council leaders often face undue influence from local government chairpersons due to their financial reliance. He proposed that training for local government legislative leaders should involve cooperation between the Ministry of Local Government and the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Further insights were shared by Hon. Bonu Solomon, who commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing financial autonomy to local governments through direct allocations from the federation account, which has reportedly improved their operational efficiency. He insisted that similar financial independence should also be granted to local legislative bodies.

Hon. Aro Moshood added that empowering local government legislatures is essential for effective governance, suggesting that lawmakers should actively observe local legislative sessions to understand the issues faced by councilors without autonomy.

The lawmakers decided to urge Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to instruct the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development to formulate a strategy for the independent financing of Legislative Councils within Lagos State.

Speaker Obasa echoed the importance of financial independence for councilors to effectively perform their oversight roles. He noted the increased allocations to local governments and emphasized the need to empower grassroots legislatures to maintain proper checks and balances for the benefit of the citizens.

The House resolved to instruct the Commissioner of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development to prioritize ongoing training and capacity-building programs for councilors in financial management, budgeting, and legislative practices. They also urged the Ministry to pursue the enactment of a self-accounting law that would secure financial autonomy for the legislative arms in all local governments and LCDAs.