The Lagos state government has clarified that residents living in its social housing estates must obtain official approval before installing solar power systems.
The clarification was issued on Wednesday by Wale Ajetunmobi, senior special assistant on media to governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, following a viral video showing enforcement officials carrying out an operation at one of the estates.
According to him, the installation of solar power systems is classified as an alteration to the original design and must be approved by the appropriate government agencies before execution.
“The Lagos State Government does not charge all residents for permits to install solar power systems for domestic use in their homes. Only residents in government-owned social housing estates are charged administrative fees for alterations such as solar installation,” Ajetunmobi explained.
He added that residents agree to such conditions upon acquiring or occupying the properties, stressing that the rules are clearly stated in their documentation.
Ajetunmobi further stated that all alteration requests must pass through the ministry of housing’s physical planning and surveydepartments for approval, inspection, and compliance checks.
He noted that enforcement officers seen in the viral video were from the monitoring and compliance unit of the ministry of housing, and that action was taken because the occupant allegedly failed to obtain the required approval before installation.
“The man in the video did not apply for approval before embarking on the alteration. The officers are from the Monitoring and Compliance Unit of the Ministry,” he said.
The governor’s aide also warned that unauthorised modifications in government estates could lead to safety risks, including structural damage and fire incidents, which may ultimately affect other residents.
He said that the approval process is necessary to ensure proper maintenance and safety standards across all government-owned housing estates.