By Luqmon Balogun
One of the major pieces of urban infrastructure that impact positively on public safety, economy, as well as wellbeing of any community is street lighting. In every developed world, street lighting plays a significant role as a preventive mechanism for road accidents, crime reduction, and ensuring energy savings. In the same vein, social interaction and community engagement increase when places like parks, highways and walkways are lit, and this invariably enhances a stronger sense of belonging and neighbourhood cohesion.
In the past years, there have been hues and cries by residents of Lagos, alleging that the state government had left the streets in darkness and made it pervious to social menace. The House of Assembly, at a point, also reprimanded the executive arm for neglecting roads and highways across the state.
On December 3, 2024, Governor Sanwo-Olu signed the Lagos State Electricity Bill 2024 into law, thus setting the stage for a power supply system aimed at providing reliable electricity to residents. During the signing, he expressed his administration’s resolve to lighting up Lagos.
“The bill is not about us; it is about the whole market and the entire system. So, it is important that the system is fully carried along, and they should see it as a win-win. We want, at the end of the day, Lagosians to be the full beneficiaries of what the bill is about. We all want to see affordable and accessible lights all around our state.
“We all have a common objective, which is to develop and improve the energy infrastructure of our state, and once we do that, we know it will transform into economic benefits for citizens so that people can have a better security network in terms of making Lagos a true 21st Century economy, and not being scared or worried about night or illumination in some parts of the city. We want to light up Lagos. We want our citizens to feel the benefit and effects of this legislation”, he had said at the occasion.
In addressing this concern, the administration aligned with the evolving smart and LED lighting to replace the old orange-glow streetlights, while building on the existing components. The administration also ensured improved operations with fresh installations and decommissioning of old fittings on major routes across the state.
Previous administrations had adopted numerous initiatives to light up the streets, with the use of diesel- and gas-powered lighting, but this, as it turned out, was not economically and financially sustainable, as most of the major streets could not be covered.
With the new installations, the government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, has since restored nightlife to areas like Iddo, Eko Bridge, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu, Fadeyi, and all the way down to Maryland and Ojota. Others include Marina Bridge, Western Avenue, Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway, Muritala Muhammad International Airport Way, Governor’s Road, Alausa, Old Toll Gate-Olusosun, Alapere-Ogudu, Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, Agric Ikorodu, Ikorodu Road, Lekki-Epe Expressway, with many of them completed while others are ongoing.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said that the project is a continuous exercise across the state.
“What you are seeing today on the streets is the answer of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the question of unlit, dark streets. Today, so many streets in Lagos are well lit, and the job is not complete. It is not done; it is something that is ongoing, and we will continue to do it.
“In the first phase, we are going to fix 20,000 lamps while the second phase is about 22,000…the streetlights have really brightened up the streets. And there are so many implications, such as reduction of crime, safety, and security on our streets.” he said
Omotoso also spoke on the efforts so far by the Sanwo-Olu’s administration to light up the city.
“When Mr Sanwo-Olu came in, we felt it was not reasonable and was not sustainable for us to spend about N600 million every month to power, repair and fuel generators, and to do all of that.
“Besides, the world is running away from emissions but towards clean energy. And that Lagos should not be left behind in that kind of conversation. So we decided to go solar. We tried so many, until we got the right specification, which we are doing now. In all, this is a testament to the fact that we are also advancing technology, sustainable energy, in the beautification of our streets and communities,” Omotoso stressed.
Technically, an improved visibility allows drivers to see road hazards ahead, as study shows that a well-lit intersection can drastically reduce night-time crashes by roughly 30% to 40%, and proper illumination has been shown to reduce pedestrian-related crashes by up to 50%.
Sodiq Omotayo, a commercial driver who plies Ikorodu to Lagos Island daily, shares his experience on the road, particularly at night: In the past, we usually had journeys laced with fear whenever we were returning home, because of the dark spots and fear of the unknown. But since the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu fixed these solar powered lights, it has become interesting to drive in the night, because now, you can see what is ahead of you.”
The idea of solar light retrofitting, according to Morenike Ladega who sells goods at Ikorodu bus stop, is transformational to the business environment.
“We the market people in Ikorodu are the only ones that can explain the magnitude of what Governor Sanwo-Olu did for us with these new solar installations. It has improved our sales greatly. Before now, we used to light up our stalls with rechargeable lanterns and others, but now Sanwo-Olu light up is the real light,” she said
It is a truism that areas with modern, consistent lighting are often perceived as more luxurious, thus increasing the value of property in the area. This audacious move by the government to light up major highways will no doubt bring about development and impact the environment positively, reduce the city’s carbon footprint, electricity costs, and enhance the city’s overall development.
The government has also assured that the solar street light installation and retrofitting is a continuous exercise and areas that are yet to be illuminated would soon be lit up.
For the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to sustain the accolades, all major roads across the state must be touched and, from there, the greater Lagos that is rising can be felt at all nooks and crannies of the state.
•Balogun is a journalist and writes from Lagos.
