The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Lagos State, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, revealed in a recent interview that 80 percent of buildings in Ibeju Lekki have been constructed without approval.
During a recent visit to the area, he observed numerous estates without proper approval.
He explained that the first step to obtaining approval is to acquire planning information regarding the zoning of the area.
However, many individuals are purchasing agricultural land without knowledge of its designated use. Olumide emphasized the importance of obtaining a fence permit to determine the zoning of the area before proceeding with any construction.
He also highlighted the necessity of obtaining a layout permit that aligns with the intended purpose of the land. Despite these regulations, many individuals continue to advertise and sell land without proper approval, leading to potential issues for buyers, especially those in the diaspora.
The Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings, Jide Odusolu, said Lekki Peninsula’s masterplan got distorted post-2010 due to rapid development, with newer estates sidestepping old regulations.
He said, “The Lekki peninsula had a master plan which was originally launched when Bola Tinubu was the governor and updated under Babatunde Fashola. Almost all large estates along the Lekki corridor, especially those developed between 2000-2008, have approved layout plans. It was obligatory and rigidly enforced by the state government.
“However, starting in 2010, the plans became distorted with accelerated development, and many of the smaller schemes that sprung up deliberately sought to avoid the large infrastructure burdens carried by the legacy era developments.
“I am sure investigations with developers such as UPDC (Pinnock Beach), Trojan Estate, Aircom (Northern Foreshore), Cityscape (Buenavista), Howard Roarks (Lake View) and Octo5 (Ocean Bay) will reveal how they all spent huge sums providing infrastructure with zero support from the government while still paying punitive taxes.”
According to Odusolu, the government weaponised planning and titling for internally generated revenue, and that disincentivises compliance, leading to chaotic development.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, Femi Oyedele, said most of the estates had layout plans that were not coordinated to form a planned city.
He noted that the communities that were not planned were the historic settlements that the government excised in the scheme.
“To do Lekki better, those estates which have been approved on the west and east arterial roads, which go down to Awoyaya on the east side and to Akodo on the west side of Lekki-Epe Expressway, must be demolished to make way for the planned roads.
“The kind of restoration done to Abuja by Nasir El’Rufai must be done in Lekki. Lekki Peninsular and Victoria Island have a population of over 3 million people. Glasgow has a population of less than 2 million people with twice the roads of Lekki Peninsula,” he enunciated.
