Tears, tension as 22,000 Lagos homes Face demolition

By Sodiq Adelakun

Anxiety is spreading across Lagos following the state government’s warning that more than 22,000 buildings risk demolition for lacking mandatory planning permits.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Olumide Oluyinka, disclosed on Wednesday that only 12,000 permits were issued in 2024 far below the annual requirement of 40,000 to 45,000 approvals needed to manage the state’s rapid urban growth.

For many, the news landed like a thunderbolt. In Ikorodu, 48-year-old widow, Mrs. Adebisi Adeyemi, clutched the iron gate of her newly built two-storey house as she recounted how she sold her late husband’s land and jewellery to fund the project.

If they demolish this house, my children and I will be on the streets. Nobody told us about permits when we started building. How do I explain this to my children?” she said, her voice breaking.

The government insists the permits are not optional but mandatory like a birth certificate for every child. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Olumide Oluyinka, said only 12,000 permits were approved in 2024, far below the 40,000 to 45,000 needed annually to keep Lagos orderly.

But builders argue the permit system is tangled in red tape and riddled with unofficial payments. Mr. Chinedu Okafor, a developer in Alimosho, said:It takes months of frustration and extra ‘settlements’ to get approval. That’s why people skip it. Government should fix the system before threatening demolitions.”

Still, professionals in the built environment have a different view. Architect Tunde Osho warned that ignoring planning laws could lead to collapsed buildings, blocked drainage and chaos.

Permits are not punishment. They protect lives and secure investments,” he said.Meanwhile, market women and small landlords in rural Lagos are pleading for mercy. In Badagry, trader Florence Olaleye stressed that, "We are not against permits, but most of us don’t even understand the process. Government should teach us first, not just come with bulldozers.”

As the state presses ahead with its week-long sensitisation drive ending Friday, September 26, 2025, tension remains high. Between government’s demand for order and citizens’ desperate pleas for survival, the fate of 22,000 Lagos homes now hangs in the balance.