A recent viral video showing officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Housing confronting a resident over the installation of solar panels has ignited widespread public outrage and renewed debate over government regulation, taxation and access to alternative energy sources.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed officials from the ministry’s monitoring and compliance unit informing a resident that approval and payment of an administrative fee were required before installing a solar power system on his residence.
The incident triggered sharp reactions from residents, many of whom accused the state government of imposing additional burdens on citizens already struggling with unreliable electricity supply and rising living costs.
However, the Lagos State Government has clarified that the permit requirement does not apply to all residents, insisting that the policy is limited to occupants of government-owned social housing estates.
Reacting to the controversy, Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Wale Ajetunmobi, said the resident featured in the viral video misunderstood the policy.
“This development is true, but the man who made the video seems to be misinformed about the Lagos State Government’s guidelines for installing solar energy systems in social housing estates,” Ajetunmobi stated in a post on X.
According to him, only residents of government-owned social housing estates are required to obtain approval and pay administrative fees before carrying out structural alterations such as solar panel installations.
He explained that the government acts as the facility manager of the estates and must ensure that modifications comply with planning regulations and do not affect shared infrastructure or the structural integrity of buildings.
“Only residents living in government-owned social housing estates are charged administrative fees for alterations, such as the installation of a solar power system, before any additional development can be permitted,” he said.
Ajetunmobi added that alterations must pass through the physical planning and survey departments of the Ministry of Housing for approval, compliance verification and post-installation inspection.
He further noted that many solar systems are mounted in shared spaces within the estates, making government approval necessary before any installation can proceed.
The governor’s aide suggested that the individual in the viral video was likely a tenant or occupant of a government-owned estate who failed to obtain the required approval before commencing installation.
“He is likely to be a tenant in one of these social housing estates owned by the Lagos State Government, otherwise, he wouldn’t have raised concerns about something that was clearly outlined in the indemnity document he signed before the government handed over the apartment to him after purchase,” he said.
According to Ajetunmobi, the state government had previously faced liabilities arising from unauthorized structural modifications, including incidents involving roof damage and fire outbreaks.
Despite the clarification, public criticism has continued to intensify, with many residents arguing that the controversy highlights broader concerns about governance and the growing cost of survival in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
For many Lagosians, the debate extends beyond solar energy and reflects frustration over what they perceive as an increasing number of levies, permits and charges imposed on citizens who already provide essential services for themselves.
Critics argue that while governments in many countries encourage renewable energy adoption through incentives and subsidies, Nigerians are being asked to pay additional fees for seeking alternatives to chronic power shortages.
Many residents remain skeptical of the government’s explanation, fearing that the policy could eventually be expanded beyond social housing estates to cover private estates and individual homeowners.
Some have questioned why citizens who independently provide electricity, water and security should be required to seek approval or pay fees to install solar systems powered by sunlight.
A businessman residing in a private estate in Amuwo Odofin, Anthony Osewele, strongly condemned the policy, describing it as an attempt to commercialize a natural resource.
“The state government has no right to sell God’s energy,” he said.
“Nobody has the right to sell solar energy provided by God. We are talking about solar energy that is from the sun, God’s free gift to humanity. It is evil and the height of wickedness for anybody in authority to even conceive the idea of collecting money from citizens for using sunlight.”
Osewele argued that instead of imposing additional requirements, governments should focus on providing stable electricity and improving the quality of life for residents.
Similarly, legal practitioner Marcellus Onah said the growing embrace of solar power is a direct consequence of the failure of public electricity supply.
“People are buying solar because the government has failed to provide stable electricity, which is the minimum any responsible government should provide,” he said.
“We provide water for ourselves. We generate electricity for ourselves. We fix roads around us. Despite all these, the government still wants to charge us for trying to survive.”
An estate agent, Rowland Adebayo, also expressed concern over what he described as an increasing burden of taxes and levies on residents.
“They have introduced road parking fees. They demand tenement rates. Every day, there is one new levy or another,” he said.
“I don’t mind paying taxes if the government is doing the right thing. But asking people to pay for installing solar energy is criminal. It is like taxing sunlight, which is a free gift from God and we must resist it.”
The controversy comes as many Nigerians continue to turn to solar power as an alternative energy source amid persistent electricity shortages, rising fuel prices and increasing costs of running generators.
While the Lagos State Government insists that the permit requirement is strictly limited to government-owned social housing estates and is intended to regulate structural alterations, public concerns have exposed deeper frustrations over economic hardship, public service delivery and the growing demand for affordable renewable energy solutions.