Lagos govt gives two-week ultimatum for regularisation of unapproved Trade Fair buildings

The Lagos State Government has given all developers and occupants of unapproved structures at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, a two-week ultimatum to regularise their buildings with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

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The ultimatum was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide.

According to the statement, the directive follows recent enforcement actions at the complex, during which illegal structures were demolished while others were found to lack proper planning approvals.

“All developers and occupants of structures within the Trade Fair Complex are hereby given a two-week ultimatum to approach the Ministry to regularise the approval status of their buildings in line with extant regulations,” Mr Olumide said.

Mr Olumide explained that the complex had become overcrowded with unsafe and haphazard structures, posing serious risks to public safety and emergency access.

The statement said the enforcement was part of efforts to restore order and ensure compliance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law.

Addressing allegations of selective enforcement and ethnic bias, the government stressed that similar demolitions had been carried out in several markets and housing estates across Lagos, irrespective of the ethnic composition of occupants.

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It cited examples including Pelewura and Bombata Markets (Lagos Island), LSDPC Estate (Ilasan, Eti-Osa), Otumara (Ebutedid Metta), AactRago, and Oluwostated thatarket.

The statement also noted that in accordance with the southeastern states—such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo—had undertaken similar urban renewal exercises without ethnic considerations, adding that Lagos’ actions were consistent with national planning standards.

Why the state acted

Mr Olumide said the demolitions were carried out based on the 2003 Supreme Court judgement and provisions of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 (as amended).

“We acted to stop the proliferation of unapproved and unsafe buildings. Since November 2023, developers were repeatedly urged to regularise their approvals but many failed to comply,” he said.

He added that the affected structures were either unapproved, structurally defective, or built on road setbacks and drainage alignments.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the demolitions, conducted by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Physical Planning Permit Authority, and Urban Renewal Agency, with security personnel providing cover.

The Lagos Government maintained that the Trade Fair Complex Management Board, though a federal agency, has no power to approve or regulate building developments, as such authority rests with the state government.

It cited the 2003 Supreme Court ruling in Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation, which affirmed state jurisdiction over physical planning and development control, including on federal lands except in core federal enclaves such as military formations.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, reinforced this position, saying, “Trade Fair is not a sovereign community within Lagos State. The board may manage leases and commercial activities, but any construction still requires a state planning permit. Otherwise, it is illegal under state law.”

Obi, Umeh fault demolitions

Meanwhile, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the demolitions, describing them as “legally correct but morally wrong.”

In a statement titled, ‘Lagos Demolitions: Law, Justice, and Compassion,’ which he posted on X on 30 September, Mr Obi said the exercise inflicted “undeserved pain” on citizens and ignored the need for compassion in governance.

“A government should not pride itself on being legally correct if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong,” he said.

“When the law becomes an instrument to inflict pain without compassion or regard for human welfare, it ceases to serve justice.”

Mr Obi, who visited the affected market, questioned the necessity of the demolitions and urged the government to adopt less destructive remedies.

“Even if, for the sake of argument, some traders failed to obtain proper approvals, was demolition the only option?” he asked.

Also reacting, Victor Umeh, the senator representing Anambra Central, had described the demolitions as “illegal” and “beyond the jurisdiction of the Lagos State Government.”

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, on Tuesday, he argued that the complex is federal property managed by a federal board and that only the Federal Government could authorise such enforcement.

However, Mr Wahab dismissed his claim as “ignorant,” noting that Lagos’ actions were fully backed by law.

“When it comes to Lagos, everyone has an opinion. Was it illegal when Governors Otti or Soludo removed contraventions in their states? Every one of our actions is lawful and we stand by it,” he wrote on X.

State rebuffs criticism

Responding, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said Mr Obi “misrepresented the facts,” insisting that the affected traders did not possess valid planning permits.

“Approvals for physical development can only be issued by the Lagos State Government, not the Trade Fair Management Board,” he said.

“Owners of the buildings were given ample time to regularise their papers during a general amnesty declared last year, which was extended several times, but they refused.”

Mr Omotoso added that officials of the ministry inspecting the site were attacked by some traders and had to be rescued by the police.

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Also responding to Mr Umeh, on Tuesday, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said in a statement that the complex, though managed by a federal board, remains under Lagos’ jurisdiction for planning and building approvals.

“Trade Fair is not a sovereign community within Lagos State,” Mr Wahab said. “The board, which is a creation of the Federal Government to manage the complex, does not have powers to approve or regulate building developments independent of the Lagos State Government.”

He explained that under the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992)—as domesticated by Lagos State’s Physical Planning and Development Regulations—all physical development in the state requires planning permits from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

Some affected traders, however, told The Punch that the demolitions were sudden and came without proper notice.