Nigeria, Nov. 9 -- For years, beginning primarily on the cusp of the millennium, Lagos has enjoyed a near-legendary reputation among Nigerians as our own under-recognised Eldorado. In informal conversations, among pseudo-elites and members of the free-readers association at the newsstand, Lagos is always referred to as that state where governance is elevated beyond the bar of mediocrity, unike the big-for-nothing entity called Nigeria and other states that make up the contraption.

But as is typical of such conversations, they are always devoid of contexts. The most potent part of the "Lagos is working" argument is built on saccharine, mixed with lazy references to some cosmetic achievements in urban renewal. And the Lagos political elite...