The Lagos State Electricity Board has raised concerns over the alarming financial losses incurred annually due to the theft and vandalism of streetlight infrastructure and other electrical installations, amounting to approximately N1.7 billion.
The Public Lighting Representative of the board, Omotayo Halid, revealed this during a Stakeholders Town Hall Engagement held on Wednesday at Y Arena, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The event, aimed at addressing the protection of streetlight infrastructure, called on community development associations and community development committees to support safeguarding efforts.
Highlighting the extent of the problem, Halid stated, “Let me begin by sharing a certain statistic with you. The Lagos State Electricity Board alone loses N1.7bn every year to theft and vandalisation of electrical installations across the state. You can imagine if this was used to address other infrastructures across the state like education, and healthcare.”
He pointed out that key targets for vandals include transformers, underground cables, electrical installations, and generators.
Halid also warned that stolen equipment could leave entire roads in darkness, increasing the likelihood of accidents and adding pressure on healthcare workers who must operate in such conditions.
In his address, LSEB Chairman K.A.T. Balogun emphasized the shared responsibility between the government and communities in maintaining the state’s electrical infrastructure.
“The streetlight infrastructures constructed by the state government is a joint responsibility between the Lagos State and all the communities. It is important that we think that way, so that if we see any person around these infrastructures and acting suspiciously, you can always call on us. The government has spent a lot of money putting these things in place,” Balogun explained.
The town hall meeting brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the police force, local vigilantes, CDAs, CDCs, and transport unions, who deliberated on strategies to protect these installations.
During the event, CSP Ishola Olugboye, the Divisional Police Officer of Lion Building in Ikoyi, raised concerns over residents allegedly collaborating with vandals. He assured attendees of enhanced policing efforts to tackle the issue effectively.
