The Lagos State Government has again intensified its clampdown on unapproved buildings within the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, warning that all structures without proper authorisation will be sanctioned.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to maintaining safety and order in urban development.
Dr Olumide said the enforcement drive was guided by law and motivated by safety concerns, not by politics or ethnicity.
He added that the state’s action was backed by the Supreme Court ruling of 2003, which empowers state governments to regulate physical development within their territories except in areas under exclusive federal control.
According to the commissioner, the government’s position is also consistent with the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992 and the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2019, which mandate compliance in all construction activities.
The commissioner gave a two-week deadline to all occupants and developers in the complex to regularise their building approvals with the ministry.
“After the deadline, anyone who fails to comply will face appropriate enforcement measures in line with state laws,” he warned.
Reacting to claims that the exercise was targeted at a particular ethnic group, Dr Olumide described such comments as false and divisive.
He pointed out that illegal structures had also been removed in several other locations including Alaba Rago, Oluwole Market, Pelewura Market, Otumara, and Ilasan Estate — all inhabited by different ethnic communities.
Dr Olumide said similar measures had been implemented in other states such as Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Imo, without any suggestion of ethnic bias.
The commissioner appealed to residents and developers to cooperate with the government’s planning authorities.
