The Lagos State Government has forcefully reiterated its commitment to dismantling all buildings and unauthorized structures erected directly beneath high-tension power lines throughout the state. The administration warns that the persistence of such encroachment represents a “grave risks to public safety.”
The stern caution was delivered by Olajide Babatunde, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Electronic Geographic Information System (eGIS) and Urban Development, during an intensive on-site inspection of the critical Third Mainland Bridge corridor.
Babatunde was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Oladimeji Animashaun, General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA); and other senior officials from key enforcement agencies.
The comprehensive assessment tour spanned the stretch from Oworonshoki to Adekunle, including the Makoko section of Ebute Meta. Officials documented numerous shanties and “unlawful structures encroaching on the legally required 50-metre setback” mandated around the bridge and beneath the high-tension transmission lines.
Safety Over Compliance: Enforcement Imminent
Special Adviser Babatunde emphasized that the state can no longer permit any form of “habitation or commercial activities in restricted corridors,” especially those located under power lines, labeling these actions as inherently “dangerous and unacceptable.” He confirmed that enforcement operations will be “intensified to ensure compliance with planning laws, protect public infrastructure, and safeguard lives.”
Further highlighting the government’s frustration with the lack of compliance, Permanent Secretary Oki confirmed that the government has held “numerous engagements with residents in Makoko and neighbouring communities, repeatedly warning them of the dangers of erecting structures directly under power lines or too close to the Third Mainland Bridge.”
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Oki detailed the long history of warnings, noting, “As far back as February this year, we issued a 14-day notice for them to vacate the area, but they ignored it. Many of them have even extended their structures toward the midpoint of the bridge. We have warned them several times; the next step is decisive enforcement.”
He stressed that authorities had explicitly stated during prior meetings that following continuous warnings, “no further notice would precede enforcement actions.” While the government remains open to necessary “dialogue with community leaders,” Oki unequivocally stated that “public safety remains paramount.”
Concluding his statement, he underscored the core responsibility of the government: “If any of those cables were to snap and a disaster occurs, the blame would be directed at the government. Protecting lives is our priority. Beyond the power lines, their activities are now creeping dangerously close to the Third Mainland Bridge.”