The Lagos State Government has announced plans to mark illegal buildings on Banana Island for demolition, starting Monday, February 17, 2025.
The move targets violations of building regulations, safety risks, and unauthorized encroachments.
Mr. Gbolahan Oki, General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting on Banana Island on Thursday, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He stated that structures found violating building codes, including those under high-tension power lines and within restricted shoreline areas, would be identified and subsequently demolished.
Officials will mark affected buildings from Monday to Friday next week, after which owners will have two weeks to present documents. Violating structures will then be removed.
“From Monday to Friday next week, officials will come and mark the buildings. The following week, we will give you two weeks to get your documents ready. After that, I am going to pull everything down,” Oki declared.
He emphasized that the decision followed the government’s commitment to enforcing urban planning laws and ensuring public safety. According to Oki, LASBCA has carried out similar actions in other parts of the state, including Abule Egba, Iya Niba, and Iyana Isheri, where illegal buildings under high-tension lines were removed.
More insight
The NAN report highlighted that Dr. Babatunde Olajide, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Planning Matters, reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s authority over land matters under the Land Use Act.
- He noted that unauthorized land reclamation and sand-filling had disrupted Banana Island’s planned development, necessitating intervention.
- While regulations mandate a 150-metre setback from the shoreline, Olajide explained that the government had reduced this to 100 metres as a concession.
- However, he noted that some developers still failed to comply. He urged residents to cooperate, stressing that the objective was to restore order and ensure safety, not to target property owners arbitrarily.
- To address complaints of illegal extensions, a committee led by Olalekan Sodeinde, Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban Development, has been established. Sodeinde noted that unregulated construction had led to environmental degradation in Banana Island, once a prime real estate destination, and assured that firm action would be taken to restore its integrity.
Abidemi Sonaike, Chairman of the Banana Island Association, welcomed the government’s efforts, emphasizing the importance of proper planning and safety compliance. With enforcement imminent, property owners have been urged to regularize their approvals or face demolition.
