Igbos contributed to development of Lagos, Abuja & 7 out of 10 markets in Nigeria were built by igbos—Okwesilieze Nwodo, Ex Enugu state governor

Former Governor of Enugu state, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, has stated that the Igbo tribe has contributed immensely to the development of Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and other states in the country.

During an interview on Arise TV, Nwodo said if there are 10 markets in Lagos, 7 were built from swamps by Igbo traders.

‘’What nobody can deny as a fact is that the Igbos have contributed immensely to the development of Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and many other cities. In any city the Igbos have contributed to building, they have come very close second to the indigenous population and sometimes neck to neck. In Lagos, if there are 10 markets in Lagos, seven were built from swamps by Igbo traders, not to talk about manufacturers in that city, not to talk about those who have built residential houses, not to talk about those who have built the hospitality industry.

In this city, Abuja, about seventy percent of the hospitality business are owned by Igbos and about 70% of the plazas are owned by Igbos. Not to talk about houses that are up for rent.

These are things that are common knowledge to anybody.”

While responding to those who dispute this fact, Nwodo said;

‘’How many cities in the SouthEast have people outside the SouthEast have contributed in building? The answer I have for them is that business goes where there is infrastructure. The Seaport in Lagos is about the only Seaport operating in Nigeria and the Igbos do a lot of importation of goods. So they have to settle where the Seaport is, build markets to sell whatever they have imported into the country and whatever they have manufactured, they can easily send them along the West African coast to other West African cities.

You cannot compare the infrastructure that the Federal government has built in Abuja to any infrastructure in the South East. As people that are entrepreneurs, they come, take advantage of it and develop the place for their business and I do not think anything is wrong with that”