10 FG infrastructures in Lagos State

However, what remains indisputable is that the Federal Government was responsible for early infrastructural developments in Lagos. This fact has been attributed to the status of Lagos as the nation's capital city for the first 31 years since Independence.

Perhaps it’s these infrastructures that gave the southwest state a slight edge and helped it set itself up to become Nigeria's commercial capital and the economic hub of West Africa with a burgeoning population.

Since Abuja succeeded it as the nation's capital in 1991, Lagos State has continued to enhance its infrastructures, but the Federal Government’s footprints are still visible across the state today. 

Without further ado, we take a look at ten infrastructures the Federal Government built in Lagos.

From its name alone, it’s clear that the Third Mainland Bridge was the third of its kind. Commissioned in 1990, the 3MB is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland - the others are the Eko and Carter bridges, also built by the Federal Government.

Until 1996, when the 6th October Bridge in Cairo was completed, the Third Mainland Bridge was the longest in Africa. The contract for its construction was awarded in 1976, and the construction was done in phases.

The eight-lane bridge has very high vehicular traffic on weekdays, as residents from various parts of the mainland use the iconic bridge for their daily commutes.

Formerly referred to as the Lagos International Airport, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) is Nigeria's oldest and busiest airport, with two terminals for International and Cargo operations.

The MMIA is Nigeria's premiere air gateway, and its existence dates back to the pre-colonial era, specifically during the Second World War.

However, the current terminal was built and commissioned in the 70s, hence the renaming after the late Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, who died in 1976.

The terminal officially commenced operation in 1979 and has undergone renovation several times ever since. But its most radical makeover began in 2013 when the Federal Government embarked on a Remodelling/Rehabilitation Programme for its airports nationwide.

Located in the Surulere area of the state, the Lagos National Stadium is a multi-purpose facility comprising an Olympic-size swimming arena and a multipurpose arena used for athletics, rugby, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, wrestling and boxing matches. 

It was built in 1972 and holds a significant place in Nigeria's sporting history as the Green Eagles (now known as the Super Eagles) won their first-ever African Cup of Nations trophy in the stadium in 1980.

Unfortunately, the edifice has become a shadow of itself due to inexplicable neglect over the years. It last hosted a national team game in 2004 and is now occasionally used for religious gatherings.

Anyone who has travelled from the mainland to the Island via Eko Bridge would have noticed this majestic edifice sitting along the Iganmu axis of the state. The construction of the National Arts Theatre was completed in 1976 in preparation for the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC).

The monument had served as a primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. Its construction was started by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed during the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Lagos Port Complex, also known as the Apapa Port Complex or more relatively as Apapa Port, is the largest and busiest port complex in Nigeria, followed by the Tin Can Port, also in Lagos.

The port was conceived following the completion of the Western railway with Lagos as the main terminus. This gave rise to the need for a facility to load and discharge goods in either direction of Western Nigeria and the Northern provinces.

The port sits on 80 hectares of land and has a four-wheeled gate with a height of eight metres for receiving oversized cargoes. It has two logistics centres that include bonded warehouses and terminal buildings as well as five private terminals.

The first railroad construction in Nigeria was done in Lagos by the British colonial government in 1889. In 1912, the Lagos Government Railway and the Baro-Kano Railway were merged to kickstart a nationwide rail service under the name Government Department of Railways.

However, following the passing of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act of 1955, the company gained its current name as well as the exclusive right to construct and operate rail services in Nigeria.

With its headquarters at Ebute-Metta in Lagos, the NRC has under its tutelage the Lagos-Ibadan rail service, which is a segment of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway under construction in Nigeria.

The University of Lagos, popularly referred to by its acronym, UNILAG, is one of Nigeria's prestigious institutions of higher learning.

Founded in 1962, UNILAG is one of the first-generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in the world by major education publications.

The university presently boasts three campuses, all located on the Lagos mainland.

Its two main campuses are located at Yaba (the main campus in Akoka and the recently created campus at the former school of radiography), while its college of medicine, popularly known as LUTH, is located at Idi-Araba, Surulere.

One of the pecks Lagos enjoys for being the second most-populated state in Nigeria is those additional facilities that rarely accrue to other states. By principle, the Federal Medical Centres were established in states that do not have Federal University Teaching Hospitals present.

However, Lagos is an exception to this rule. The Federal Medical Centre in Ebute-Metta exists in addition to the teaching hospital (LUTH) to ensure the teeming population has adequate access to proper healthcare.

Located in Ikoyi, Dodan Barracks is a military barrack with a significant footprint in the security history of Lagos and Nigeria.

The barracks is reputed for being the Supreme Military Headquarters during the Nigerian Civil War and served as the official residence of the military heads of state of the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–79 and 1983–1991.

Located along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, FESTAC Town is a federal house estate originally designed to house the participants of the second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture of 1977, nicknamed FESTAC 1997.

Consisting of 5,000 contemporary dwelling units and seven major avenues, the town was designed in an efficient grid to accommodate upwards of 45,000 visitors as well as any Nigerian employees and officers working at the festival.

Over the years, the ownership status of the estate has become a contending issue, with local, state and federal governments all laying claim to the management of the estate.