80% of Lekki buildings lack approval — Lagos govt

Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, has disclosed that a staggering 80% of buildings in the Ibeju Lekki area lack the necessary approval.

In a recent interview with newsmen, Olumide highlighted the concerning issue that has gripped many residents and property owners in Lekki area of Lagos State.

During a recent inspection in the Ibeju Lekki and Epe axis, he said, “Just last week Thursday and Friday, myself and the team were in the Ibeju Lekki and Epe axis and you would agree with me that anybody passing through that corridor would see a lot of estates marked. We went there, and I can tell you that from what we saw, over 80 per cent of them do not have approval.

“The next thing to do is the fence permit. If you missed the earlier information on not knowing the area zoning, at the point of getting the fence permit, you would be able to detect what the area is zoned for. After that, the layout permits a large expense of land follows.”

“So, you can see all these layers, but people still go ahead to start advertising. Some have even gone to the extent of displaying the sizes they want to sell. Imagine someone in the diaspora who wants to send money without any knowledge.

“Then, no approval is eventually gotten. Even if they pass the assignment and the survey to them, we would not grant the individual permit, because that area is not zoned for that purpose,” he said.

The commissioner’s statement has raised alarm bells, particularly for individuals who have invested in these estates without proper knowledge or understanding of the zoning regulations.

Olumide highlighted the risks associated with such investments, cautioning against purchasing properties in areas that are not zoned for the intended purpose.

Jide Odusolu, the Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings, shedded light on the issue, explaining that the master plan for the Lekki Peninsula was disrupted after 2010 due to rapid development.

Many newer estates deviated from the established regulations, resulting in a distortion of the original plan. Odusolu emphasized that the older estates along the Lekki corridor adhered to the approved layout plans, as enforced by the state government.

However, the situation changed in 2010, with accelerated development leading to the emergence of smaller schemes by the government that aimed to bypass the infrastructure requirements imposed on the older estates. Developers, such as UPDC, Trojan Estate, Aircom, Cityscape, Howard Roarks, and Octo5, invested substantial funds in providing infrastructure without government support while still facing high taxes.

Femi Oyedele, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, highlighted another issue with the estates in question. He noted that many of these communities were not part of a coordinated and planned city. These communities were historic settlements that were incorporated into the Government scheme without proper planning, leading to a lack of cohesive development.

The revelation by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development has sent shockwaves through the Lekki community, as residents and property owners now grapple with the fear of potential demolitions.

While government’s focus on enforcing zoning regulations and obtaining the necessary approvals is crucial to ensuring safe and legally compliant development in the area, it is notable that officials of Lagos State government that gave approval should be blame also.

According a property owner in one of the area that doesn’t want his name mentioned, “We obtain approval from the State government and if there is noncompliances to all the required approvals, it should be blame on the Government personnel and not lawful citizens that is following the rules set by the government as represented by their officials. We should not meant to pay for the failures on the part of government personnel “ he said.

Lekki axis has been the fastest developing residential area in Lagos state with most of the properties been developed by private investors. This is more reason why there is growing fear within the community over the statement from the Lagos State Commissioner.