The Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force have intensified efforts to transform police accommodation across the state, with 1,000 new housing units expected to be delivered for police personnel by February 2027.
The project is being implemented through a multi-year partnership involving the Lagos State Government, the Nigeria Police Force and private developers under the state’s LagosHOMS housing framework, with the aim of redeveloping ageing, overcrowded and dilapidated police barracks.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, who oversees the initiative, disclosed this during an inspection tour of police barracks and facilities in Lagos by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
Benson-Awoyinka said the initiative was conceived more than two years ago while she was serving as the Governor’s Special Adviser on Housing.
According to her, the state government recognised that supporting police officers should extend beyond the periodic provision of operational vehicles to include their welfare and living conditions.
“This project began when I was Special Advisor to the Governor of Lagos State on housing. We are partnering with the Nigerian Police Force to redevelop the barracks in Lagos,” she said.
She explained that private developers were being brought into the scheme to provide equity financing for the redevelopment of police estates.
“It is a very strategic partnership. We are bringing in private developers who will provide equity funds to help the Nigerian Police redevelop the barracks and restore them to good condition,” Benson-Awoyinka stated.
She added that the LagosHOMS initiative, originally designed to provide housing for members of the public, offered an opportunity for the state to extend similar support to police personnel.
The Commissioner, however, acknowledged that the project had experienced delays due to challenges associated with securing vacant possession of some of the barracks.
She said authorities had to conduct comprehensive headcounts of occupants, arrange relocations and demolish obsolete structures before redevelopment could commence.
According to her, full possession has now been secured at Ijeh, paving the way for large-scale construction, while some relocation activities are still ongoing at Obalende.
“We are moving into full-scale development in Ijeh. As the Inspector-General said, by February next year, we hope, by the grace of God, to deliver 1,000 housing units for police officers in Ijeh,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police said 21 police barracks redevelopment and rehabilitation projects are currently at various stages of construction and renovation across Lagos State.
Disu, during the inspection tour, emphasised that decent accommodation remained an essential component of police welfare, noting that officers’ living conditions could directly influence their morale, effectiveness and service delivery.
The Nigeria Police Force disclosed that approximately 600 buildings within the barracks have already been refurbished, while a comprehensive headcount of personnel occupying police quarters has also been completed to determine actual housing requirements and improve estate management.
The IGP’s inspection included the Police Hospital, Falomo, which is undergoing renovation as part of efforts to improve healthcare services for police officers and their families.
The redevelopment programme also covers the removal of shanties and other informal structures around police estates to reclaim space, restore order and create room for planned residential and supporting infrastructure.
Disu appealed to police personnel and their families to remain patient throughout the redevelopment process, acknowledging that large-scale construction and rehabilitation could cause temporary disruption.
The partnership between the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force is expected to provide more decent and sustainable accommodation for officers while transforming existing police estates into better-planned residential communities.
With construction now moving into full scale at Ijeh, authorities are targeting February 2027 for the completion and delivery of the first batch of 1,000 housing units.
