The Lagos State Government has warned contractors handling ongoing housing projects across the state to accelerate construction or risk losing their contracts, as it intensifies efforts to deliver at least 2,000 housing units before the end of the year.
Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, issued the warning during an inspection tour of the Abraham Adesanya Extension Housing Scheme and the Sangotedo Housing Scheme Phase II in the Lekki corridor.
The inspection team included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Hafis Toriola, alongside directors, engineers and other technical officials of the ministry.
Akinderu-Fatai expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work at some project sites, revealing that government had identified technical issues requiring immediate attention.
“We are not happy about the scope of work here and we also noticed some technical issues that we are going to resolve with the contractors.
“If the government has given them enough money to finish up these projects and they are slow, we will quickly take them off the site,” he said.
The commissioner said the projects form part of the state government’s broader plan to expand access to affordable housing and reduce the housing deficit through strategic public-private partnerships.
According to him, the developments under construction are expected to provide about 2,000 housing units upon completion, including the 526-unit Sangotedo Housing Scheme being executed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Akinderu-Fatai acknowledged that the projects had suffered delays due to prevailing economic challenges, noting that construction was originally expected to have been completed about two years ago.
He attributed the setback largely to rising inflation and the sharp increase in the cost of building materials, which forced developers to seek reviews of project costs and implementation timelines.
The commissioner, however, stressed that the government had addressed many of the challenges and was now focused on ensuring timely delivery.
“We have gone past that. The level we are at now is delivery,” he stated.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Housing would hold urgent meetings with contractors handling the projects to address outstanding issues and ensure strict compliance with agreed timelines.
The Lagos State Government has consistently maintained that expanding housing infrastructure remains a key component of its development agenda, with ongoing investments aimed at increasing homeownership opportunities and improving living conditions for residents.
Akinderu-Fatai reiterated that the government would not hesitate to sanction or replace non-performing contractors whose actions could jeopardise the completion of critical housing projects.
The commissioner expressed optimism that some of the housing schemes could be ready for delivery within the coming months if contractors improve their pace of work and meet project milestones.
