Lagos demolishes 17 buildings, seals 52 others over planning violations

The Lagos State Government has demolished 17 illegal structures and sealed 52 others across the state as part of intensified efforts to enforce physical planning regulations and restore order in the built environment.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Abiodun Oluyinka Olumide, disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, where he presented the ministry’s performance report for the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

Olumide said the enforcement actions followed investigations into numerous public complaints and development-related disputes received by the ministry.

According to him, the Technical Services Department received 987 petitions during the review period, successfully resolving 399 through mediation and compliance enforcement, while 519 cases remain under investigation.

“As part of our enforcement activities, 17 structures were removed and 52 others sealed for various planning infractions,” the commissioner said.

He noted that the ministry’s intervention had helped reduce litigation, minimise enforcement conflicts and strengthen public confidence in government efforts to regulate physical development across Lagos.

Beyond enforcement, Olumide said the ministry recorded significant progress in urban planning and development management, with the completion of three major planning documents: the Lagos Island Model City Plan, Ibeju-Lekki Model City Plan and the Revised Badagry Master Plan.

“These plans are expected to guide infrastructure development, land-use management and sustainable urban growth across the state,” he said.

The commissioner also revealed that monitoring activities were intensified across housing estates and emerging communities. During the period under review, 205 estates were inspected to ensure compliance with approved layout plans and development standards.

In a bid to protect residents from fraudulent property schemes, the commissioner said the ministry published details of 176 illegal estates operating without layout plan approvals, warning prospective buyers to verify planning approvals before committing funds to property transactions.

Olumide further disclosed that the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority recorded a total of 21,603 planning permit applications between June 2025 and March 2026, approving 17,279 of them.

He said a 60-day amnesty programme introduced between October and December 2025 significantly improved compliance, attracting 7,198 permit applications and resulting in 4,113 approvals.

According to him, a major milestone achieved during the period was the launch of the Electronic Physical Planning Permit Processing System (e-PPPS), which allows applicants to process planning permits online from any location, thereby improving transparency, efficiency and ease of doing business.