Lagos’ Urban Strain Has Nothing to Do With Population Yet. Did you fllow the debate on X? Here is my opinion: Lagos does not have a population problem. At least not yet. Especially when the city’s economic relevance and revenue depend on it. Yes, Lagos is Nigeria’s smallest state by landmass, and population pressure is real. But cities all over the world are growing just as fast too. What separates functional cities from chaotic ones is planning. In fact, Lagos’ limited land should be an advantage. The "scarcity" should force smarter land use, tighter coordination, and efficient infrastructure. Instead, our planning fails to optimize land, mobility, and services. And the obvious result is congestion, housing shortages, and overstretched public systems. Lagos works economically because it remains a hub for opportunity. But its economic, social and physical infrastructure (roads, transit, utilities, safety, and connectivity) has not kept up with the population it attracts. That imbalance creates long-term sustainability risks. So when we build performative mega projects while ignoring smarter, high-impact fixes like: • Flyovers to ease one corridor while feeder roads remain abandoned for years • Ignoring housing supply and then blaming developers for density failures... Infrastructure repeatedly collapse under predictable demand. Then we label it “population strain” and conclude that “Lagos is full.” That narrative is dangerous as it distracts from poor governance, weak planning, and inefficient resource use. Population doesn’t break cities, poor planning does. And until Lagos confronts that honestly, every other solution is just noise.