LASG Will Encourage Compliance Rather Than Demolish Buildings With Infractions – Commissioner

… Says Government May Reopen Amnesty Window

The Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, has cleared the air on the demolition of buildings that failed to comply with building regulations, especially those built without Building Permit Approval. He stated that such buildings, rather than being demolished, the owners or developers would be made to comply with the regulations by ensuring that the infractions are redressed.

Olumide affirmed that it is only in extreme cases when such properties were built under high tension electricity wires, on gas or oil pipelines or drainage channels and rights of way that they have to be removed to protect lives; anything that poses a threat to lives should not be spared.

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He made the disclosure today at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre during the ongoing 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing as part of activities marking the sixth year in office of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration.

The Commissioner said, “The notion that any property marked for infraction must automatically go down is not correct. The markings, warnings and service of notices were all geared at ensuring compliance with the building regulations to ensure that we have an organised State and stem the tide of building collapse”.

When asked if the Amnesty window opened to property owners and developers to regularise their properties has been closed or could be reopened, the Commissioner said the amnesty led to 27% increase in the numbers of properties with building permit and the Governor might reconsider reopen it if that was the wish of the people. Willful compliance, he said, was the primary objective of the government.

Olumide hinted that the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, (LASPPPA) has, in the last six years granted a total of 37,266 approvals for various uses including residential, commercial, mixed-use and institutional among others, adding that in 2024 alone LASPPPA granted approvals for 95 hospitals, 27 petrol filling stations, 151 shopping malls and 95 schools among others.

He averred that LASPPPA surpassed its pre-amnesty window record of 2,201 approvals by 6,655 as it granted a total of 8,856 approvals between May and December 2024 while the amnesty window was on.

The Commissioner, who was excited about the success of the amnesty programme designed to allow owners and developers of existing buildings without approval to regularise their property, said that the Sanwo-Olu’s administration successfully encouraged more property owners to regularise their buildings as the application approval rate swelled during the amnesty window that lasted for 180 days.

He explained that the amnesty widow was divided into three phases, yielding impressive results for the first phase (May-July) in which LASPPPA granted 2,151approvals; the second phase, (August-October 2024) witnessed a total of 6,402 applications out of which 3,570 approvals were granted, and the third phase (November-December 2024) recorded 7,210 applications and 3,135 approvals, bringing the total Amnesty period achievements to 18,489 applications and 8,856 Approvals, respectively.

While noting that the two months that followed the amnesty window, that is, January and February 2025, recorded a combined 1,369 approvals against 2,084 applications, he urged property owners and developers to always seek the planning information service of the Ministry and guide against factors causing delay in Approval, such as non-compliance with zoning regulations, exceeding permissible limits, and the Master Plan, among others.