The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday received a progress report on the ongoing All-in-One Solar Street Light initiative, as residents in parts of Ajeromi-Ifelodun intensified calls for improved street lighting to curb rising pre-dawn attacks by criminal gangs.
Presenting the report during plenary on November 17, 2025, the lawmaker representing Constituency 1, Hon. Lukman Olumoh, updated the House on the implementation of the Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) earlier approved for the project. The solar lighting scheme, a major component of the state’s smart city development agenda, is designed to replace outdated public lighting with energy-efficient, all-in-one solar fittings across Lagos.
According to Olumoh, only 5,000 of the 22,000 approved units have been installed so far. He disclosed that the contractors—Messrs LEDCO Limited with 90.9 percent of the project allocation and LUG Limited with 9.1 percent—began accessing funds from the ISPO between September and October 2025. He added that the Lagos State Electricity Board has been mandated to ensure equitable distribution of the new streetlights across all local government areas.
The House also directed the Ministry of Energy to submit the total cost of the second phase of the project for proper legislative review.
Meanwhile, traders in Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ifelodun LCDA have raised fresh concerns over the growing number of pre-dawn attacks by “one-chance” operators who target early morning commuters heading to Boundary Market. Many say the lack of functional street lighting has emboldened criminals operating within inner streets.
A trader, known as Mama Ejima, who deals in cow hides(Pomo), narrated that commercial buses operating along Ojo Road often divert unsuspecting passengers to dark spots such as Moshalashi Street and Cemetery Street near Babani, where victims are always robbed before daybreak. She stressed that traders who set out for the market as early as 4 a.m. now face daily risks, lamenting that “some hotels in Ajeromi-Ifelodun are better lit than many of the streets.
Mama Ejima applauded the lawmakers’ initiative , noting that the project would greatly reduce traders’ vulnerability to early-morning robberies, which have become a frequent ordeal.
Residents continue to urge both Ajeromi local government and Ifelodun LCDA to address the lighting gaps and strengthen security patrols, especially during early trading hours.
