By: Tijani Salako.

The Lagos State Government has defended its intensified enforcement against illegal estates, unsafe buildings and developments erected under power lines and gas corridors, warning that such structures pose serious risks to residents and public infrastructure.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, stated this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Lagos, where he disclosed that the state government had published 176 illegal estates operating without approved layout permits as part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the built environment.

Olumide explained that many of the affected developers had since approached the government for regularisation, while monitoring and enforcement exercises continue across different parts of the state.

According to him, some estates previously granted approvals later violated planning conditions by converting designated green areas, drainage alignments and utility corridors into residential and commercial structures.

He said such violations contribute significantly to flooding, environmental degradation and mounting pressure on infrastructure within rapidly growing communities.

“You cannot have an estate meant for 70 families without green areas for children to play. Some developers convert every available space into shops or residential units because they want to maximize profit. That is not proper planning,” he said.

The commissioner warned residents against building under high-tension power lines, gas pipelines and other restricted utility corridors, stressing that such developments could attract immediate demolition because of the danger they pose to human life.

“If you build on gas lines or under power lines, those are areas where immediate demolition can occur because they are extremely dangerous,” he stated.

Olumide also explained that many planning applications fail because applicants are unable to provide valid land titles, tax clearance records or designs that comply with approved zoning regulations.

According to him, some developers attempt to erect structures beyond approved height limits, while others submit questionable ownership documents that cannot legally support development approvals.

“There are cases where someone wants to build a property worth billions of naira but presents tax records that do not correspond with the scale of the development. Such applications cannot proceed,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the ministry receives an average of about 30 petitions daily from residents complaining about blocked drainage channels, encroachment, illegal fencing and non-compliant developments.

He revealed that the Technical Services Department received 987 petitions within the review period, out of which 399 were resolved, 52 properties sealed and 17 structures removed, while several other cases remain under investigation.

Olumide further defended the government’s distress marking and demolition exercises, insisting that they are aimed primarily at protecting lives and preventing disasters.

“When a building is marked distressed, it does not automatically mean demolition. It means experts have identified danger signs and owners need to carry out necessary structural corrections,” he said.

He recalled instances where residents ignored warning notices issued by government officials, leading to fatal building collapses.

The commissioner also highlighted the reconstitution of the Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, inaugurated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to provide an independent review mechanism for disputes arising from planning decisions.

Under the arrangement, aggrieved residents and developers have 28 days to challenge regulatory actions before the committee.

Olumide maintained that the state government would continue to intensify compliance enforcement, strengthen planning regulations and promote safer urban development across Lagos.