Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - The Lagos State Government has announced plans to regulate beach houses and other unapproved developments along the coastal corridor, including Ibeshe, Ilashe, Kare, and Takwa Bay, citing concerns over disorder and inadequate infrastructure.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known during an
inspection tour of the areas on Tuesday, stressing that the corridor holds
potential as a future hub for tourism and economic activities.
He explained that the government would take firm steps to
restore order, upgrade infrastructure, and ensure that private developments
align with Lagos’ broader urban and coastal management plans.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, took
an unscheduled five-hour working tour of key towns along Lagos State’s coastal
areas, taking on-the-spot assessment of chaotic developments sprawling across
the riverine communities.
“The Governor’s visit to the coastline came on
the heels of proliferating physical developments along the coastal corridor,
most of which encroached on approved setbacks and were done in violation of the
State’s physical planning regulations. Sanwo-Olu, accompanied by the Deputy
Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the State’s Executive Council,
took a survey of unapproved structures erected along Ibeshe, Kare and Inagbe,
which share boundaries with Ilashe,” the statement read in part.
It further quoted Sanwo-Olu was saying, “These have been our
observations and we will be coming back to this corridor for full enumeration
of violations. Both the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,
and Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) will come back to do full
enumeration which will enable us to take the final decision on the development
of the beach front.
“Our final decision would be inclusive of how
we will regularise, give title and ensure that the locals are not at
disadvantage.”
Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by senior officials and
traditional leaders during the visit, noted that while the natural landscape
offers opportunities for leisure, investment, and housing, the lack of proper
regulation has encouraged haphazard developments that could undermine long-term
growth.
The Lagos State Government’s plan to regulate beach houses
comes as the Federal Government also tightened control over shoreline
developments. By law, a certain stretch of land along Nigeria’s coastlines,
islands, and waterways falls under federal ownership. Recently, the Office of
the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) suspended all land allocations
and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) in these areas, directing that they be
resubmitted for proper review and coordination.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which had
previously issued some permits, was told to stop granting new ones and submit
past approvals for vetting.
This move followed earlier concerns raised by the Minister
of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who in December 2024
criticized unregulated projects on the Lagos shoreline and warned developers to
regularize or face demolition.
The federal suspension now formalizes that stance, ensuring
shoreline developments are centrally controlled and properly managed.
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