18th May, 2012
The Lagos State Government has demolished 129 buildings found to be defective and shut down 620 other buildings across Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, says Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ayinde Olutoyin.
Olutoyin disclosed this today at a ministerial news conference in Lagos, saying that the buildings fell short of the approved standard and had to be demolished by the government in order to avert disaster.
“The Lagos State Planning Permit Authority received 289 applications for vetting of Technical Reports. Out of this number, a total of 226 applications were cleared. In the area of enforcement, a total of 15,216 notices were served as against 16,280 in 2010.
“This is made up of 6,864 contravention notices, 3,348 stop work orders, 3,941 demolition notices, 425 quit notices and 638 seal up notices.
“These steps have enabled the Authority to detect contraventions at early stage for prompt removal. In the same vein, 129 buildings were demolished while 620 were sealed for various offences in the year under review,” he disclosed.
On the development guide plans for excised villages, Olutoyin said the government, in its bid to ensure equity, fairness and preservation of indigenous settlements, had excised over 300 villages within government acquisitions.
“One of the conditions for obtaining development permits in such excised villages is an approved layout. Most of the over 300 excised villages are yet to obtain such approvals. In order to facilitate the preparation of such development guide/layout, the Ministry is organising preparation of plans for the excised villages in partnership with private sector.
“The exercise is scheduled to take off soon after the inventory of the excised villages and availability of relevant documents, including the survey plans. The benefits of this policy are many. The developers/buyers of land in the villages will be able to process their titles and planning permits,” he stated.
He said “on the other hand, the state government will be able to create a record both in Lands Registry and Planning Office for effective land management. The revenue from the areas shall be captured through the assessment fees and land charges and the villages will be prevented from developing into slums.
“I will therefore want to use this opportunity to appeal to all the stakeholders to cooperate with government in order to achieve this goal. Since all the activities of man will end up on land, and because the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is saddled with ensuring sustainable and orderly development on this land, we are bound statutorily to collaborate and synergise with all stakeholders including the various MDAs.
“We have been working with all agencies of government on matters relating to urban development. We wish to continue this and therefore appeal for cooperation from all.”
The commissioner also said that there had been a review of Ikoyi-Victoria Island Model City Plan, saying that the plan prepared in 2006 was currently being reviewed to respond to the social and economic realities in the area.
He stated that the review would incorporate the up-coming Eko Atlantic City, the Eko Hotel and Kuramo axis, among others, while new development, such as Intercontinental Hotel project, Ozumba Mbadiwe-Falomo Ramp and their impacts would also be examined within the Model City Plan as the Ministry would engage all stakeholders in the review process to ensure an acceptable plan.
On the proposed Ikorodu Master Plan, Olutoyin said the master plan was being re-awarded to a town planning consulting firm with a view to redirecting and creating a growth pole to North-Western part of Lagos.
“When completed, the plan will make provision for a counter magnet for absorbing population from the densely populated areas, providing employment opportunities, housing and recreation through a network of interconnected transport system,” he stated.
On the proposed Epe Master Plan, the commissioner added that the state government had received bids from reputable consultants for the preparation of Epe Master Plan, saying that the plan which would cover the whole of the old Epe Division was aimed at opening and unlocking the potentials of the state by directing development North-East ward, noting that the ministry was at the stage of pre-qualifying the consultants before final award.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga