The Lagos State Government has announced new measures to regulate sprawling beach houses and unapproved developments along its coastal corridor, including Ibeshe, Ilashe, Kare, and Takwa Bay. Officials say the move is aimed at restoring order, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring that the coastline becomes a sustainable hub for tourism and economic growth.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed the plan on Tuesday during an unscheduled five-hour inspection tour of the riverine communities. The governor, accompanied by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and members of the State Executive Council, described the current wave of unregulated projects as chaotic and inconsistent with Lagos’ urban and coastal management strategy.
“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.
The governor noted that a full enumeration of violations would follow, led by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
“These have been our observations and we will be coming back to this corridor for full enumeration of violations,” Sanwo-Olu said. “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 emphasized that while the natural landscape of Lagos’ coastline offers immense opportunities for leisure, housing, and investment, the absence of strict oversight has led to disorderly growth that threatens long-term sustainability.
The governor’s announcement comes as the Federal Government also tightens control over shoreline development across Nigeria. The Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) recently suspended all land allocations and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) in coastal areas, ordering a review to ensure compliance with federal laws.
The directive warned that any buildings encroaching on federally protected land or constructed without proper authorization risk demolition, while titles issued outside the Presidency or OSGOF may be revoked. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which had previously issued some permits, was instructed to halt new approvals and submit existing ones for vetting.
Last December, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, had warned developers against unregulated projects along Lagos’ shoreline, stressing that such violations could lead to demolition. The latest suspension now formalizes that stance, consolidating control over coastal development under federal authority.
With Lagos pushing to regularize its beach houses and coastal estates, and the Federal Government asserting ownership of shoreline corridors, developers in Ibeshe, Ilashe, Kare, and Takwa Bay face increasing pressure to comply with new regulations—or risk losing their investments.