By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Lagos State Government has issued a two-week ultimatum to property developers and owners at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, to obtain proper building approvals and regularise their operations in line with existing physical planning regulations.
This directive follows the partial demolition of unapproved structures at the complex a few weeks ago. The government said the exercise targeted only buildings erected without necessary approvals from relevant authorities.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, announced the ultimatum on Thursday while reacting to recent comments by Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and others who accused the state government of bias in its demolition exercise.
Olumide said the state’s action was in line with legal provisions and global best practices, stressing that the ultimatum was an opportunity for developers to correct irregularities before enforcement resumes.
“Over time, the Trade Fair Complex has degenerated into an enclave of haphazard and unsafe structures, posing grave risks to public safety and emergency response,” Olumide said.
He explained that the enforcement aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda, which prioritise inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Citing the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992) and the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law (2019), Olumide said the state is constitutionally empowered to regulate physical development within its territory — including federal lands not used for exclusive federal purposes such as military bases.
“For clarity, land ownership and title are not in contention at the Trade Fair Complex. The ongoing enforcement focuses solely on the approval status of physical developments. Every structure in Lagos State must have a valid planning permit from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,” he stated.
The commissioner stressed that after the two-week window, the government—through the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA)—would resume demolition of non-compliant structures within the complex.
He also dismissed insinuations of political or ethnic bias, describing such claims as “populist and ill-motivated.”
“The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to attempts by certain political actors, particularly of South-East extraction, to misrepresent facts and discredit the ongoing enforcement. These actions aim at scoring cheap political points rather than advancing public safety,” he said.
Olumide highlighted that similar demolition and urban renewal exercises had been carried out in several parts of Lagos, including Pelewura Market, Bombata Market, Ilasan Housing Estate, Otumara, Alaba Rago, and Oluwole Market, all involving diverse ethnic groups.
He also noted that other states in the South-East—such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo—have conducted comparable exercises without ethnic tension.
“It is therefore disingenuous and divisive for anyone to resort to ethnic sensationalism whenever enforcement involves structures owned or occupied by individuals of Igbo extraction,” Olumide warned.
He reaffirmed the Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to ensuring a safe, well-planned, and sustainable Lagos, guided strictly by the law and devoid of political or ethnic bias.
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