Lagos Extends Building Demolition to The Island

In furtherance to the building demolition exercise embarked upon by the Lagos state government, six highly distressed buildings on Lagos Island have been marked for demolition.

Investors King had earlier reported that announced that it would kickstart a seven-day demolition of buildings that were improperly built.

“This underlies our resolve to act promptly in addressing the spate of building collapse by removing uninhabitable structures before they cause more havoc, especially during the rainy season when such buildings are more prone to collapse”, spokesman of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Mukaila Sanusi had said in a statement.

Investors King gathered that occupants of illegal attachments to buildings in the area had been ordered to quit, and a seven-day notice was issued to occupants of the building.

General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, while overseeing the enforcement exercise, stated that the action of the agency was in line with its obligation to identify and remove distressed and non-conforming buildings within the metropolis to prevent avoidable crisis.

He also noted that some house owners illegally construct attachments to the front of their buildings to obstruct a clear view of their houses.

“Some of the distressed buildings are quite difficult to detect due to illegal attachments in their frontages. As such, we need to remove them to reveal the actual state of the buildings,” he said.

Oki lamented the spate of illegal and unapproved building construction in the area despite the government’s enlightenment campaigns and stringent enforcement measures.

He reiterated the illegality of having a building without getting the needed approval from the government and be certified by the LASBCA.

“The exercise was a wake-up call to all developers and property owners in the state to build by the rules, that the Lagos State Government would continue to come down heavily on any act of disregard for the State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 as amended.”

“LASBCA would not relent in removing both distressed and non-conforming buildings in the state, while the cost of removal would be at the expense of the owners,” he added.

Oki also assured stakeholders that the safety of lives and property remained the priority of the government as the ongoing exercise was not designed to witch-hunt or intimidate the people but to ensure their wellness and well-being.

He urged Lagosians to continue to give maximum support to the government by carrying out voluntary structural engineering appraisals on their old buildings, obtaining the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation and promptly reporting cases of distressed, non-conforming and illegal developments.