Lagosians kick against ‘plan’ to move indigene certificates to ministry

The De Renaissance Patriots Foundation (DRPF), a Lagos indigenes group, has kicked against an alleged proposal by the Lagos State Government to transfer the issuance of indigene certificates from traditional institutions and local governments to a ministry. The group said the move would amount to an erosion of ancestral rights and could lead to political […]

The De Renaissance Patriots Foundation (DRPF), a Lagos indigenes group, has kicked against an alleged proposal by the Lagos State Government to transfer the issuance of indigene certificates from traditional institutions and local governments to a ministry.

The group said the move would amount to an erosion of ancestral rights and could lead to political manipulation, monetisation of indigene status and the gradual displacement of original Lagosians.

DRPF disclosed this in a paper presented after its leadership attended a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the state government on plans to digitalise and centralise the issuance of indigene certificates.

The statement was signed by the President of DRPF, Mr Muftah Bolaji Are, and a member of its steering committee, Engr. (Dr.) AbdulLateef Onikoyi.

According to the group, the determination of indigeneity is an ancestral responsibility of traditional rulers and chieftaincy families who possess centuries-old knowledge of lineage, migration patterns, clan roots and family histories.

“Traditional institutions are custodians of oral traditions, royal archives and genealogical records that no ministry or modern administrative body can replicate,” the foundation stated.

The group warned that transferring such authority to a ministry would open the door to the creation of “new indigenes” by dominant migrant groups and the weakening of indigenous rights, a process some scholars describe as “genocide by migration”.

DRPF stressed that no other state in the country had removed indigene certification from traditional institutions, warning that Lagos should not set what it described as a dangerous precedent.

It added that stripping obas and baales of this responsibility would weaken the ability of indigenous people to defend their heritage and could eventually make them strangers in their ancestral land.

The foundation further argued that the Nigerian Constitution and the Federal Character Commission Act recognised legitimate indigene certification as critical for recruitment, representation and appointments, insisting that only traditional institutions could provide culturally valid verification.

“A ministry-issued certificate lacks ancestral and cultural legitimacy and may be challenged nationally,” the group said.

DRPF also expressed concern that civil servants lacked the capacity to verify family roots and genealogies, warning that the policy could trigger conflicts between government agencies and traditional authorities.

While acknowledging the need for reforms, the group said any digitalisation process should be done in collaboration with traditional rulers rather than replacing them.

“The ministry may assist with digital frameworks or verification processes, but it must not assume issuance powers,” DRPF said.