By Sodiq Adelakun
The Lagos State Government has declared its intention to demolish shanties erected directly beneath high-tension power lines in Makoko, Yaba, citing severe safety hazards to residents of the densely populated waterfront community.
Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban and Regional Planning, Gbolahan Oki, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, several meetings had been held with residents and community leaders to warn them of the dangers, yet many continued to disregard repeated calls to vacate the area.
“Lagos State government is set to remove illegal structures built under high-tension cables in the Makoko community, Yaba. The move comes after the state, through the Office of Urban and Regional Planning, removed dilapidated buildings and shanties at the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge in Kosofe Local Government Area,” the statement read in part.
Oki said the intervention is aimed at averting possible disasters, adding that the government is working with community leaders to clear the illegal structures rather than acting unilaterally.
He also raised security concerns, explaining that investigations had traced certain traffic robberies on the Third Mainland Bridge to individuals occupying shanties in the area who allegedly used them as hideouts.
The demolition drive forms part of wider enforcement measures across Lagos to clear unsafe and unauthorised structures in breach of planning regulations.
Under the State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, buildings are prohibited beneath overhead power lines, with required setback distances based on voltage: 6 metres for 0.415KV and 11KV lines, 10 metres for 33KV, 20 metres for 132KV, and 30 metres for 330KV lines. Properties located near power substations must keep a minimum distance of 12 metres from the boundary.
“These rules are designed to protect lives, minimise risks of electrocution and fire, and foster orderly urban growth across the state,” Oki added.
The government restated that residents and developers must comply with planning regulations or risk demolition of unsafe structures.