By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing 812 housing units at the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate and Lagos State Workers’ Village, Ipaja, before the end of the current administration as part of efforts to expand access to affordable housing.
The projects comprise the 636-unit Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate and the 176-unit Workers’ Housing Scheme at Ipaja.
Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, gave the assurance on Wednesday during an inspection of the projects, where he assessed the level of work and directed contractors to accelerate construction to meet delivery timelines.
Speaking during the inspection, Akinderu-Fatai expressed concern over delays in some aspects of the projects, particularly where contractors had fallen behind schedule.
“We are here to assess the progress of work and identify areas requiring urgent attention. We have a contractor that is far behind schedule, and that is one of the major challenges we are addressing.
However, that will not stop us from moving ahead with our plans to complete these projects,” he said.
At the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate, the commissioner said substantial progress had been made, with key infrastructure already completed.
According to him, electricity challenges affecting the estate have largely been resolved, while the water treatment plant and sewer system are fully in place.
“We are happy that we have been able to resolve the electricity issues. Electricity is a major component of the scheme. The water treatment plant is ready, the sewer system is also ready, and most of the housing units are substantially completed,” he said.
Akinderu-Fatai disclosed that the Egan-Igando project is about 85 per cent complete, adding that the inspection was aimed at resolving outstanding issues before the estate is presented for commissioning by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The inspection team also visited the 128-unit Joint Venture (JV) Housing Scheme at Ipaja, developed under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement. The estate comprises 80 two-bedroom apartments and 48 three-bedroom apartments.
The commissioner further inspected the Lagos State Workers’ Village along Command Road, Ipaja, where construction is ongoing on 176 housing units in 11 blocks of 16 two-bedroom apartments each.
He said the Ipaja developments form part of the state’s broader strategy to reduce the housing deficit and provide affordable accommodation for residents.
According to him, the government is combining direct funding with Public-Private Partnership arrangements to increase housing supply despite prevailing economic challenges.
Akinderu-Fatai noted that rising construction costs and inflation had necessitated the adoption of cost-saving measures without compromising the quality and safety of the buildings.
“We have reviewed certain finishing elements to make the houses more affordable. Residents can move into the homes immediately and make additional improvements at their convenience. The objective is to ensure that the houses remain within the reach of ordinary Lagosians,” he said.
The commissioner reiterated Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to affordable housing, noting that government-built homes are deliberately priced below prevailing market rates to promote home ownership.
He assured that the Ministry of Housing would continue to monitor contractors closely, address outstanding technical issues and ensure all supporting infrastructure is fully operational before the projects are commissioned.
Akinderu-Fatai expressed satisfaction with the overall progress of the developments despite delays recorded in some sections of the projects.
