The Lagos State Government has called on residents of its housing estates to take greater responsibility for maintaining their neighbourhoods to preserve infrastructure. 

The state government noted that taking such a responsibility would also enhance security and sustain property value.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Abdulhafis Toriola, made the call during the ministry’s monthly stakeholders’ engagement with residents of government-owned housing estates.

The event was hosted by Millennium Housing Estate, Agbado-Ijaiye, Ojokoro, on Saturday.

Mr Toriola said the forum was designed to strengthen collaboration between the government and residents, while providing a platform to identify challenges and gather feedback to improve estate management. 

“Wherever you live, you need to be proactive and take ownership so that the estate retains its value. 

“When you notice something that needs attention, fix what you can. 

“Where government intervention is required, we will come in and assist. You do not have to wait for the government to fix everything,” he said. 

The permanent secretary commended the residents for maintaining their estates and urged them to comply with the terms and conditions of their property allocation. 

He stressed the importance of paying insurance premiums, describing insurance as a critical safeguard for residents and government assets. 

Mr Toriola also urged the residents to comply with regulations on land use charges and other statutory obligations, saying that defaulters would be dealt with in accordance with the law. 

According to him, the ministry has continued to organise stakeholders’ engagements to obtain residents’ feedback. 

He said that such feedback had informed improvement works in government housing estates.

On ageing estates, Mr Toriola said the government had commenced urban renewal initiatives, including the redevelopment of the old Jakande Estate in Lekki, after an integrity assessment. 

Earlier, the director of the estate department in the ministry, Olukemi Fosude, said the engagement was aimed at sensitising the residents on government housing policies.

Ms Fosude said the engagement also aimed to identify challenges and strengthen collaboration for effective estate management. 

She said the ministry remained committed to maintaining estate infrastructure, coordinating facility management, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing service charges and promoting sustainable communities. 

Ms Fosude announced that the ministry had introduced a standardised demand notice and unique payment code for every allottee to improve transparency, accountability and prompt reconciliation of service charge payments.

She reminded residents of their obligations, including prompt payment of service charges and insurance premiums.

She warned against unauthorised structures, illegal commercial activities, indiscriminate refuse disposal and other violations of estate regulations.

She urged the residents to participate in the state’s reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation to promote hygiene, prevent flooding and preserve property values.

On behalf of the residents, the vice-chairman of the Millennium Housing Estate, Agbado-Ijaiye, Chris Otabo, commended the ministry for improving security by constructing perimeter fencing.

Mr Otabo also thanked the ministry for beautifying the estate.

He, however, appealed to the government to provide improved drainage channels, repair deteriorating roads and install additional streetlights to further enhance safety.

The chairman of Millennium Housing Estate, Okoba, Jamil Onosoya, praised the ministry for rehabilitating residential blocks and upgrading infrastructure across government housing estates. 

He, however, appealed for completion of an abandoned water project on the estate and provision of additional recreational facilities and smart security infrastructure. 

Officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Safety Commission, and Lagos State Health Management Agency were at the event. 

Officials of the Lagos State Mortgage Board, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency also attended the event.

They educated the residents on waste management, fire safety, insurance, security and environmental sustainability. 

(NAN)