Project – Street Lighting, Environmental Security and Crime Prevention: A Study of Selected Communities in a Local Government Area of Lagos State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Crime prevention has become an important component of urban governance because the safety of residents, businesses, commuters and public infrastructure is closely connected with the physical and social conditions of neighbourhoods. Although conventional crime-control approaches often emphasise policing, arrest, prosecution and other responses after criminal incidents have occurred, contemporary crime-prevention scholarship also recognises the importance of modifying environments in ways that reduce opportunities for offending. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is based on the proposition that the physical organisation and management of places can influence opportunities for crime, surveillance, territoriality and perceptions of safety. Within this framework, environmental features such as visibility, lighting, access control, maintenance and the organisation of public spaces can contribute to safer communities (Taylor & Harrell, 1996; Zahm, 2007).

Street lighting is one of the most visible environmental interventions associated with public safety and crime prevention. Adequate lighting improves visibility on roads, pedestrian paths, junctions, residential streets and other public spaces, thereby making it easier for residents to observe their surroundings and for security personnel to identify people and activities at night. The relationship between lighting and crime has been examined extensively in criminological research. Welsh, Farrington, and Douglas (2022), in an updated systematic review covering 21 studies conducted between 1974 and 2021, found that street-lighting interventions were associated with a 14% reduction in total crime in treatment areas compared with comparable control areas. Their review also found a significant reduction in property crime, although the evidence did not show the same significant effect for violent crime. This indicates that street lighting may be an important environmental component of broader crime-prevention strategies, while its effects should not be understood as universal or independent of other social and policing conditions.

The theoretical connection between street lighting and crime prevention can also be understood through environmental criminology and CPTED. Improved lighting can increase opportunities for natural surveillance by enabling residents, pedestrians, motorists, security personnel and business operators to see and be seen. It may also encourage legitimate use of public spaces after dark and communicate that a neighbourhood is being maintained and monitored. Welsh and Farrington (2008) identified increased surveillance and stronger informal social control as two important explanations for the possible crime-preventive effects of improved lighting. Similarly, CPTED literature argues that environmental design can reduce opportunities for offending by improving visibility, controlling access, defining territorial boundaries and encouraging the positive use and maintenance of spaces (Welsh & Farrington, 2008; Zahm, 2007). Thus, street lighting can be considered not simply as an electricity or transportation facility but also as an environmental-security intervention.

Environmental security extends beyond the mere presence of security personnel to include the conditions under which people occupy and interact within their surroundings. A poorly illuminated street, abandoned property, overgrown vegetation, poorly maintained public space or concealed pedestrian route can create conditions in which residents feel unsafe and where opportunities for criminal activity may increase. Research on Nigerian environments has demonstrated the relevance of environmental design to safety. Badiora, Dada, and Adebara (2021), for example, examined crime and environmental-design characteristics at a Nigerian international tourist attraction and found that CPTED elements such as surveillance, access control, territoriality, activity support and image maintenance were relevant to the site’s safety conditions. This Nigerian evidence supports the need to examine environmental characteristics within local contexts rather than assuming that crime prevention is solely a function of conventional policing.

The issue of street lighting is particularly relevant to Lagos State because of the state’s extensive urbanisation, population concentration and continuous expansion of residential and commercial settlements. Historical and contemporary planning documents have recognised street lighting as part of the state’s security and urban-development efforts. The Lagos State Development Plan identified street lighting, alongside other interventions such as clearing bushes and improving neighbourhood conditions, as part of efforts to address security concerns and eliminate environmental conditions associated with urban “black spots.” The plan also recognised the role of community-based security initiatives and cooperation between security agencies and communities in strengthening public safety (Lagos State Government, 2012). This demonstrates that environmental security has long been considered within Lagos’ broader security-development framework.

Recent research provides more specific evidence about the condition and perceived security implications of street lighting in Lagos. The African Cities Research Consortium’s research on street lighting in Lagos reported significant deficiencies in lighting provision, particularly in lower-income and informal communities. Its 2025 assessment reported that many residential roads were dark and that some existing streetlights were non-functional because of age, maintenance difficulties, energy constraints and vandalism. The research also found that residents associated well-lit streets with greater feelings of safety and greater ability to move around after dark. Importantly, the researchers examined communities across Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and peri-urban areas, showing that street lighting has implications not only for mobility and economic activity but also for residents’ perceptions of security and vulnerability to crime (Badiora, 2025).

The relevance of this issue is particularly evident in parts of Ikorodu Local Government Area, a rapidly developing peri-urban component of the Lagos metropolitan region. Recent research describes Ikorodu as a rapidly growing area whose expansion has been influenced by the outward growth of Lagos, resulting in significant changes in land use, settlement patterns and urban development. The 2026 Lagos street-lighting research specifically documented experiences in Ajegunle-Ikorodu and reported that residents associated the installation of streetlights with improved nighttime visibility and greater feelings of safety. At the same time, the research identified a possible displacement problem: residents reported that some criminal activities appeared to move toward neighbouring streets that remained poorly illuminated. This finding makes Ikorodu particularly relevant for examining not only whether street lighting exists, but also whether the distribution, functionality and coverage of lighting are associated with environmental security and crime-prevention outcomes (Badiora et al., 2026).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the importance attached to street lighting as an environmental-security measure, inadequate, irregular or non-functional lighting remains a concern in parts of Lagos State. The African Cities Research Consortium’s research on Lagos identified inadequate street lighting as an important urban-security concern and reported that many communities experience poor or absent lighting, particularly in lower-income and informal settlements. The research further indicated that darkness can make movement more difficult, increase residents’ perceptions of vulnerability and complicate security responses. This raises questions about the extent to which differences in the availability and functionality of street lighting may influence environmental security and crime prevention at community level (Badiora, 2025; African Cities Research Consortium, 2026).

A second problem concerns the functionality and maintenance of street-lighting infrastructure. The mere installation of streetlight poles does not necessarily translate into effective environmental security if the lamps are not functioning, if illumination is inadequate, or if lighting infrastructure is damaged or poorly maintained. Research on Lagos has identified challenges involving electricity supply, dependence on conventional energy sources, vandalism, maintenance and unequal distribution of streetlighting infrastructure. In 2024, residents and commuters along the Ikorodu Road corridor also called for the restoration of functional streetlights because sections of the road had reportedly remained in darkness for weeks, linking the absence of illumination with concerns about nighttime safety and crime opportunities (Badiora, 2025; News Agency of Nigeria, 2024).

A third problem is that the relationship between street lighting and crime prevention cannot be assumed simply from the existence of lighting infrastructure. International systematic-review evidence indicates that improved street lighting can be associated with reductions in crime, particularly property crime, but it also shows that effects vary by crime type and research setting (Welsh et al., 2022). Nigerian environmental-design research similarly indicates that security outcomes are influenced by several interacting environmental characteristics, including surveillance, access control, territoriality, activity support and maintenance (Badiora et al., 2021). Consequently, there is a need to investigate whether residents in selected communities of Ikorodu perceive functional street lighting as contributing to visibility, surveillance, mobility, environmental security and crime prevention, rather than treating lighting as an automatic solution to criminal activities.

The fourth problem relates to the limited availability of community-specific empirical evidence connecting street-lighting conditions, environmental security and crime prevention within a defined Local Government Area of Lagos State. Existing Lagos-wide studies provide useful information about street-lighting challenges and residents’ perceptions, while international systematic reviews provide evidence about the potential crime-prevention effects of lighting. However, conditions can vary considerably from one community to another depending on settlement structure, road configuration, population density, commercial activity, security arrangements, maintenance practices and the distribution of illuminated and unilluminated spaces. The 2026 Lagos street-lighting research itself reported that crime concerns could shift toward neighbouring unlit streets, suggesting that the spatial distribution of lighting deserves closer examination. Therefore, an empirical study of selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area is necessary to examine the relationship between street lighting, environmental security and crime prevention within the local context (Badiora et al., 2026; Welsh et al., 2022).

The central problem of this study, therefore, is the need to establish how the availability, functionality and adequacy of street lighting relate to environmental security and crime prevention in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State. The study will focus on selected communities including Ajegunle, Igbogbo and Itamaga in order to generate community-level evidence concerning street-lighting conditions, perceived environmental security, crime-prevention experiences and the challenges affecting effective use and maintenance of street-lighting infrastructure.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between street lighting, environmental security and crime prevention in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the availability and functionality of street-lighting facilities in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State;
2. assess the level of environmental security associated with street-lighting conditions in the selected communities;
3. examine the relationship between street lighting and crime-prevention effectiveness in the selected communities; and
4. identify the major challenges affecting the provision, functionality, maintenance and sustainability of street-lighting facilities for environmental security and crime prevention in the selected communities.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the level of availability and functionality of street-lighting facilities in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State?
2. What is the level of environmental security associated with street-lighting conditions in the selected communities?
3. What relationship exists between street lighting and crime-prevention effectiveness in the selected communities?
4. What are the major challenges affecting the provision, functionality, maintenance and sustainability of street-lighting facilities for environmental security and crime prevention in the selected communities?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between street lighting and crime-prevention effectiveness in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to the Lagos State Government because it will provide empirical information on the relationship between public lighting infrastructure and community security. The findings may assist relevant government agencies in identifying areas where inadequate or non-functional lighting creates environmental-security concerns and in improving decisions concerning the installation, rehabilitation and maintenance of streetlights.

The study will also be useful to Local Government authorities and community development structures in Ikorodu. By identifying specific environmental conditions associated with residents’ perceptions of safety and crime prevention, the findings may assist local stakeholders in prioritising areas requiring improved lighting, maintenance and community-based monitoring.

The study will be relevant to security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised security organisations operating within Lagos State. Information about dark spots, poorly illuminated routes and areas perceived to be vulnerable may contribute to location-specific crime-prevention planning, patrol strategies and collaboration with residents.

Residents and community associations may also benefit from the study because it will draw attention to the importance of functional public infrastructure in creating safer neighbourhood environments. The study may further encourage community participation in reporting damaged streetlights, protecting public infrastructure and engaging relevant authorities on maintenance issues.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic literature on environmental security, CPTED, urban crime prevention and public infrastructure in Nigeria. It may provide a basis for future researchers to undertake comparative studies across different Local Government Areas, communities and urban settings in Lagos State and other Nigerian cities.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study will focus on Street Lighting, Environmental Security and Crime Prevention in selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Geographically, the study will cover selected communities in Ikorodu Local Government Area, particularly Ajegunle, Igbogbo and Itamaga. The choice of these communities will permit the study to examine variations in street-lighting provision, functionality and residents’ perceptions of environmental security.

The content scope will cover four major areas: availability and functionality of street lighting; environmental-security conditions; perceived contribution of street lighting to crime prevention; and challenges associated with provision and maintenance of street-lighting infrastructure.

The study will focus primarily on adult residents, community leaders, business operators and relevant security/community safety stakeholders within the selected communities. The study will not attempt to determine the total number of crimes committed in Lagos State or attribute every criminal incident directly to the presence or absence of street lighting.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Street Lighting: Publicly provided artificial illumination installed along roads, streets, pedestrian routes, junctions and other public spaces to improve visibility, mobility and safety after dark.

Environmental Security: The condition in which the physical characteristics and management of a community contribute to the safety of residents and reduce opportunities or vulnerabilities associated with criminal activities.

Crime Prevention: Measures and interventions designed to reduce the occurrence, opportunity, likelihood or impact of criminal activities.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): An approach to crime prevention that uses the design, organisation and management of physical environments to reduce opportunities for crime and increase natural surveillance, territorial control and legitimate use of space.

Functional Streetlight: A streetlight that is installed and capable of providing adequate illumination during the required nighttime period.

Environmental Design: The planning, physical arrangement, development and management of buildings, streets, open spaces, lighting, vegetation and other features of the built environment.

Crime: An act or omission prohibited and punishable under the criminal law applicable in Nigeria.

Community: A geographically defined group of residents living, working or carrying out socioeconomic activities within a particular locality.

Selected Communities: The communities specifically chosen for investigation within Ikorodu Local Government Area, namely Ajegunle, Igbogbo and Itamaga.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, hypothesis, significance, scope and operational definitions of terms. Chapter Two will review relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature relating to street lighting, environmental security, environmental design and crime prevention. Chapter Three will present the research methodology, including research design, study population, sample size, sampling procedure, research instrument, validity, reliability, data collection and methods of data analysis. Chapter Four will present and analyse the data obtained from the field, while the findings will be discussed in relation to the research questions, hypothesis and previous studies. Chapter Five will provide the summary, conclusion and recommendations based on the findings of the study.

Project – Street Lighting, Environmental Security and Crime Prevention: A Study of Selected Communities in a Local Government Area of Lagos State