Wednesday, March, 11 2026 - Lagos State Government has given residents living in its state-owned housing estates a four-month deadline to remove all illegal structures and building extensions that violate approved estate plans.
According to the statement by the Lagos State government,
the directive was issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, which warned
that any structure built outside the approved layout of the estates, must be
removed within the stipulated period or face enforcement action by the
government.
During a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the Alausa
Secretariat, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulhafis Toriola, once again
issued the warning.
The session, held in the Ministry’s Conference Room, served
as a platform for the Ministry’s management to discuss these concerns with the
executives of the Ojokoro Estate Residents Association from Meiran.
He noted that the full scale of the unauthorized building
extensions and developments only became obvious to him during a recent
inspection of the estate.
“The Ministry will not fold its arms and allow the
distortion of the original master plan of any State-owned estate.
“All allottees were duly informed of the rules and
regulations governing their properties before allocation, as clearly outlined
in the Allottee’s Guide. Any breach of these provisions will attract
appropriate sanctions,” the Permanent Secretary stated.
Following the meeting, it was agreed that all recorded
violations within the estate must be cleared away within a four-month period.
Toriola further revealed that the ministry had already
obtained the required authorization to demolish illegal buildings and start
work on restoring the estate to its original, officially approved design and
planning specifications.
He clarified that the move was intended to rectify existing
issues, bolster security, and upgrade the estate’s overall look, rather than to
penalize the homeowners.
The Permanent Secretary also responded to assertions from
some residents who claimed they had received permission from the Lagos Building
Investment Company for certain modifications to their buildings.
Tosin Olugbile, the Assistant General Manager of the
company, refuted those claims, making it clear that no such building
modifications had been authorized.
In response, Taiwo Akinde, the Chairman of the Ojokoro
Estate Residents Association, voiced his worry regarding the growing number of
unauthorized structures appearing throughout the estate.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the residents’ association
stands behind the government’s initiative to reorganize and fix the estate.
As part of their ongoing efforts to work with the
community, the Ministry’s
directors and the Monitoring and Compliance team joined the residents’ association for their general
meeting on February 28, 2026.
During the session, residents were briefed on the
government’s official stance and the importance of strictly following the
estate’s established guidelines.
Reaffirming this position, Toriola stressed that the duty
to protect and maintain state-owned housing projects rests on the shoulders of
both the government and the residents.
“State-owned housing estates are planned communities
developed to specific standards. Any alteration inconsistent with approved
plans compromises infrastructure integrity, environmental balance, and public
safety,” he stated.
Consequently, the Lagos State Government has urged residents
in all its housing projects to strictly adhere to the set guidelines.
The ministry further cautioned that the government will take
appropriate measures to protect public assets and preserve the structural and
environmental integrity of its housing estates.
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