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.
What you should know
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 directive warned that any buildings encroaching on federal right-of-way or developed without proper approval risk demolition, while titles issued outside the Presidency or OSGOF can be revoked.
- 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.
