The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to demolishing illegal and unapproved structures within the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, warning that such developments threaten public safety and violate planning laws.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.
Olumide said the enforcement drive is backed by a 2003 Supreme Court judgment that empowers states to control physical development within their territories, except in areas reserved for exclusive federal use.
He explained that the state’s action aligns 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 the government to ensure safe and sustainable urban growth.
“This exercise at the trade fair complex is not about land ownership or title. It’s about ensuring all buildings have valid planning permits,” Olumide stated.
The commissioner gave all developers and occupants within the complex a two-week deadline to regularise their building approvals with the ministry.
Reacting to allegations that the recent demolitions around the complex targeted a particular ethnic group, Olumide dismissed the claims as false and politically motivated.
“Some political actors, especially from the South-East, have been misrepresenting facts. This enforcement is not targeted at any group but part of a broader effort to maintain order and public safety,” he said.
Olumide listed other parts of the state where similar demolitions had been carried out, including Pelewura Market, Bombata Market, LSDPC Ilasan Estate, Otumara in Ebute Metta, Alaba Rago, and Oluwole Market — areas occupied by various ethnic groups.
He added that other states such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo had also undertaken similar exercises to promote urban renewal and control flooding without any ethnic bias.
“It is wrong for anyone to attach ethnic meaning to the enforcement in Lagos. The state government’s actions are always guided by law,” he stressed.
Olumide urged residents and stakeholders to support the government’s efforts to create a safe, orderly, and well-planned city for all.