Lagos, FG collaborate on reviving fed. housing Estates, to stop unapproved structures, others

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA), a Federal government agency and the Lagos State government have jointly constituted a Technical Committee on the restoration of Federal Government Estates in Lagos.

This followed the deplorable state of the Estates occasioned by the breakdown of facilities and infrastructures at the Federal Government Estates in the state namely, Festac Town and Gowon Estate in Ipaja.

This deplorable state of these once burgeoning Federal government estates may have been compounded by the movement of the Federal capital territory to Abuja.

The Technical Committee members were drawn from the Federal Housing Authority(FHA), Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Office of Surveyor-General, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency.

During the inauguration, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, maintained that the fast degrading condition of the Federal Government Estates in the state, necessitated the constitution of a committee to see to their restoration.

Salako, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engr. Abiola Kosegbe said that Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu had thrown his weight behind the collaborative effort to revamp the Federal Government Estates.

Saying that the governor having been aware of the enormous urban planning challenges that the slumming of sprawling estates would create for the host State has given this a strong thought.

The Commissioner maintained that the move would encourage joint efforts for resolving cases of illegal structures such as unapproved constructions and all forms of attachments within the estates.

Salako said, “For this collaboration to achieve its aim of a better-built environment within Federal Estates in Lagos, we expect members of the Technical Committee to handle this assignment with passion, diligence and integrity it deserves while providing regular updates and feedback to the Government.’’

The Zonal Manager, Federal Housing Authority, Arc. (Mrs.) Bada, while speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated Technical Committee said that she was excited by the synergy between the Lagos State Government and the Federal Housing Authority.

Bada described constitution of the committee as long-awaited and capable of turning around the fortunes of the Estates for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the Lagos State Government who is the landlord.