8th October, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has unveiled plans to light up 67 villages that have been in darkness for 35 years in Lekki area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The governor is also planning to light up the entire stretch of road from Berger to Lagos Island and Ikorodu to Lagos Island under phase one and two.
The lighting up of the 67 villages and the entire stretch of Berger and Ikorodu to Lagos Island will be completed by December, 2015.
At a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Energy, Deji Williams said the governor had given the order for the lighting up of those ares.
Williams said a team from the electricity board is currently studying the architectural designs of the roads to ascertain the number of street lights needed to light up the entire stretch of road from Berger to the Island and Ikorodu to the Island.
He stated that most of the street lights would be connected to the existing Independent Power Projects, IPP, to reduce the operational expenses, saying that each of the poles would be affixed with 250 watts.
Williams said jobs would be created as the private sector would be involved in the maintenance of the street lights, adding that the Gani Fawehinmi and MKO Parks would also be illuminated.
On vandalism, he said the service providers would be held liable for any of such act as they were meant to secure the facilities, adding that the projects would be completed latest by December.
Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Taofik Fashola disclosed that the lighting up of the entire stretch of road from Berger to Lagos Island would be undertaken in the first phase; the lighting up of Ikorodu to Lagos Island in the second phase and the lighting up of the 67 villages in the third phase.
Head of Power, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ibilola Kasumu, disclosed that the 67 villages to be light up had been in darkness for about 35 years, saying that the governor is giving them hope by deciding to undertake the project.
She said the villages were from Ibeju Lekki junction down to Ode Omi and would be fully lighted up before the end of the year.