Lagos seals more than 45 buildings in Eko, Ifako-Ijaiye over planning rules
- LASPPPA sealed 25 properties in Ifako-Ijaiye on Wednesday and more than 20 in Eko District on Thursday.
- The agency says owners were earlier served contravention notices but did not comply.
- Affected owners are asked to visit LASPPPA offices to regularise their buildings.
The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) has sealed more than 45 buildings in the Eko and Ifako-Ijaiye districts, saying they broke physical planning rules.
The agency's Monitoring and Compliance Unit carried out the exercise on Wednesday in Ifako-Ijaiye and on Thursday in Eko District, according to statements the authority posted on its Facebook page.
In Ifako-Ijaiye, 25 properties were sealed. LASPPPA listed the reasons as operating without valid planning permits, excessive building density, illegal remodelling, deviating from approved plans and building without approval.
In Eko District, more than 20 buildings were sealed. Ten of them were said to have departed from their approved building plans, five were cited for excessive density and five for remodelling without the required permits. The rest were sealed for construction without planning approval.
Why it matters to residents
Lagos planning rules are meant to keep buildings within approved plans, land-use rules and safety standards. For ordinary residents, that covers things like safe spacing between buildings, proper drainage and roads that can carry the number of people living in an area.
Sealing a building can stop work on a site or shut a property until the owner settles the matter with the agency, which can cost time and money.
LASPPPA said the owners and developers had been served contravention notices by their district offices before the enforcement, but did not comply.
"Contravention notices had been served by the district office previously, but compliance was not achieved," the agency stated.
An agency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said monitoring and enforcement of planning rules is a continuous exercise.
What happens next
LASPPPA advised owners and developers of the affected properties to go to their nearest district office or its headquarters at Oba Akinjobi Way, GRA, Ikeja, to regularise their buildings and get further guidance.
The exercise follows a similar one in July, when the state sealed more than 20 properties in Ikeja Local Government Area over planning violations. That operation was led by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Olayinka Wasiu, alongside LASPPPA General Manager Kehinde Osinaike and other directors, according to a state government statement at the time.
