- LASG to Redevelop 100 Slum Settlements
The Lagos State Government has said it plans to redevelop about 100 slum settlements across the state to make them more habitable.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, who stated this at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing, said the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency was working towards the regeneration and urbanisation of the state into a befitting megacity that was liveable and economically buoyant.
Ogunleye said this would also help to prevent building collapse as well as reduce urban blight in the state.
According to him, the Public Private Partnership approach, instead of direct government funding, has been adopted to achieve the slum renewal.
“The agency is shifting attention from the traditional way of tackling slum issues to a more pragmatic approach such as the introduction of tax increment financing to fund infrastructural development in slum areas. LASURA is also working with the Justice and Empowerment Initiative to make slums in the state more habitable,” he stated.
The commissioner said the state government had commenced the process with the upgrade of the Adeniji Adele Estate as a proactive measure to prevent the loss of lives.
He noted that state government had also paid N6.6m to 12 of the 30 families who were displaced due to the ongoing redevelopment of the Adeniji Adele Phase 1 Housing Estate on the Lagos Island as rent for the year 2017/2018.
“This is after the initial N18m paid as rent for the 12 families in 2014. The other 18 families opted for the choice of resettlement at LASURA’s Transit Camp within Iba Housing Estate pending the completion of the project,” he added.
Ogunleye also stated that the ministry had adopted a proactive strategy to turn identified activity centres within the state into vibrant and organised areas through the preparation of master and model city plans, adding that to date, eight had been prepared.
These, he said, were the Lekki Comprehensive Master Plan, Badagry Master Plan, Ikoyi-Victoria Island Model City Plan, Ikeja Model City Plan, Alimosho Model City Plan, Mainland Central Model City Plan, Apapa Model City Plan and Agege-Ifako Model City Plan.
The commissioner explained, “It is gratifying to announce that during the period under review 4 (four) additional Master and Model City Plans were prepared and would be ready for public use by the second quarter of this year. They are the Epe Master Plan, Ikorodu Master Plan, Oshodi-Isolo Model City Plan and the Revised Ikeja Model City Plan.
“It is also worthy to mention that on completion of the procurement process, the proposed Kosofe Model City Plan will be awarded in the second quarter of the year. Bearing in mind the dynamic nature of physical planning, the government is also reviewing the approval orders of various Government Residential Schemes such as Lekki Scheme I and Magodo Schemes I and II, which are at completion stages.”
Ogunleye stated that with the infrastructural development, upgrade and urban renewal of the state in the past year, the status of Lagos had improved, ranking higher as one of the foremost commercial and social hubs in sub-Saharan Africa.
“As we all are aware, there are substantial and significant projects taking place simultaneously across the state and many more lined up for the year with the intention of progressively transforming the status of the state into a smart city,” he added.
