Major rehabilitation works have commenced in FESTAC Town, marking the start of a broad regeneration drive to restore one of Lagos’s most iconic estates.
The first phase covers the reconstruction of the estate’s First Gate, rehabilitation of First Avenue Road, and installation of solar-powered streetlights.
Speaking at the inauguration, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Managing Director, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, said the projects fulfilled promises made 18 months ago when his team was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He stressed that the plan would enhance security, mobility, and sanitation.
“When I assumed office, FESTAC was in darkness, sanitation was poor, and key infrastructure had collapsed. We had to act,” Ojo said.
Contracts for Fourth and Seventh Avenues have been awarded to FERMA, while other works are being executed directly by FHA. Ojo also disclosed that commercial motorcycles will be banned in the estate by 2026, with tricycles and shuttle buses serving as safer alternatives.
He noted that FHA has not received federal allocations since 2003, urging residents to pay ground rents to sustain improvements. He also revealed that a 2,000-hectare sand-filling project abandoned for 15 years has been revived, alongside works to complete the Fourth Avenue bridge linking FESTAC, Ije-Dodo, and Abule Ado.
FHA’s Projects Implementation Director, Oluremi Omowaiye, assured residents of durability, saying substandard materials were replaced with interlocking stones. Estate Services Director, Ezekiel Nya-Etok, appealed for patience and cooperation.
Community leaders expressed support. FESTAC Residents’ Association President, Mohammed Adegbenro, called for renewed collaboration, while Amuwo Odofin Chairman, Lanre Sanusi, urged residents to comply with ground rent and waste rules. Lagos lawmaker, Stella Osafile, encouraged residents to safeguard new infrastructure.
The regeneration marks a turning point for FESTAC, combining preservation and modernization to restore the community as a secure and livable estate.
