Full story
On Tuesday, January 12, 2023, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State , Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, made a series of claims about Lagos state and the administration of the incumbent Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu, during a live interview on Channels Television programme: Sunrise Daily.

During the conversation, the PDP governorship candidate claimed that the unemployment rate in Lagos has skyrocketed from 14.6 percent to 37.6 percent, adding that the state, considered Nation’s commercial capital, is not living up to its potential.

In another claim, Jandor said that the poverty rate in Lagos State in 2019 was 4.5 percent against the current status which stands at 8.5 percent. He also made reference to a 2020 report which he used to claim that Lagos State is not ranked among top 5 states with fiscal performance despite the 50 billion Naira revenue the state generates every month.

These claims have been published in the mainstream and online media here, here, and here.

It commonplace during electioneering for politicians to engage in opprobrium and misrepresentation of facts to gain an advantage or to pull down their opponents. But, how valid are these claims? The public needs to know through the media and factcheckers. Hence, we verified those claims.

Verification
Claim 1. That unemployment rate has skyrocketed from 14.6 percent to 37.6 percent.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Lagos state unemployment rate as at Q4 2020 release was 1,846,604 million at 37.14%.

Image Credited: NBS

The NBS report is corroborated by the Budgit’s report. According to Budgit’s 2021-State-of-States report, Lagos unemployment rate stands at 37.14% .

Image Credited: BudgiT 2021 States of State Report
Verdict: True. Lagos State unemployment rate increased to 37.14%

Claim 2. The present poverty rate in Lagos State today is 8.5 percent.

According to National Bureau of Statistics, in its 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), Lagos State Poverty rate stands at 4.22% as against 5.0% in 2019, suggesting a 0.28% poverty reduction in 2022.

Image Credited: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022)

According to the National Bureau of Statistics in its 2019-2020 reports, Lagos State Poverty rate was 4.5o%.

Image Credited: NBS

In addition to the finding, Taxaide, in its 2019 Poverty and Inequality Report also supported the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that Lagos State’s poverty rate as at 2019 was 4.50%.

Image Credited: Taxaide

Verdict: Incorrect. Lagos State Poverty rate never increased. It rather improved by 0.28% in 2022.

Claim 3. That Lagos State is not ranked among 5 top states with Fiscal Performance

According to BudgIT on The State of States Report, the centre of excellence has continued to improve its domestic resource mobilisation capacity as it has within a 6-year period grown its IGR by 80.65% from N302.43bn in 2016 to N546.35bn in 2021—resulting in an upgrade of the state’s fiscal ranking from the 4th position in 2021 to the 3rd position in 2022.

Verdict: Incorrect. Lagos State is ranked 3rd.

Conclusion
From multiple sources such as the statistics published by the National Bureau of Statistics, BudgIT, and Taxaide, two out three claims made by the governorship candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Olajide Adediran are incorrect while only one claim is correct.