The Lagos State Government has reduced the minimum land size required for estate development from 10,000 square metres to 5,000 square metres, in a move aimed at easing housing pressure in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, announced the new policy during the maiden Quarterly Media Parley at the ministry’s conference room in Alausa, Ikeja.
Olumide said the decision reflects the realities of Lagos, where rapid population growth and urbanisation continue to drive up demand for housing and estate development.
He said, “Some of the promoters of the 176 non-complying estates, published in August, had come forward to seek assistance on how to regularise the status of their estates,” adding that the ministry was set to commence enforcement on the non-complying ones.
He continued, “Enforcement will commence soon on those in the list of 176 non-complying estates that have not come forward for regularisation.”
The commissioner disclosed that the regulatory exercise will soon extend to other parts of the state, including the Ikorodu and Ikeja corridors, while the ministry also plans to outline requirements for communities that have been unilaterally converted to estates.
He emphasised the importance of Lagos State’s Operative Development Plans in guiding infrastructure projects such as the Blue and Red Rail Lines, flyovers, and major highways.
“The state government has also completed the Alimosho Model City Plan, the Kosofe Model City Plan, the Lagos Island Model City Plan, and the Badagry Master Plan. I urge all agencies of government and other stakeholders to abide by the dictates of these plans, which we produced with the involvement of all stakeholders,” he said.
Olumide highlighted the ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop guidelines for specialised projects such as seaports, airports, and special highways, and noted the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Agency’s success in surpassing expectations in issuing planning permits.
He said, “The planning permit process is straightforward, and applicants can obtain their approvals within 10 days of making payments, as the process is now aided by the creation of more district offices, staff motivation and awareness creation, while the government will soon automate the process.
“The Lagos State Government’s plan for the transformation of informal spaces across the state, stating that the government was actively working to reclaim, redesign, and put to productive use a variety of underutilised and neglected spaces, particularly along power-line and gas-line corridors as well as drainage setbacks.
“Over 3,000 hectares of land have been identified in Lagos for this purpose. Areas often used informally and without proper planning are now being mapped out for structured developments such as parking zones to ease traffic congestion in high-density areas in the state,” he concluded.