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PHOTOS: Lagos govt gives residents four months to remove illegal structures in state estates
Lagos State Government has given residents living in its state-owned housing estates a four-month deadline to remove all illegal structures and building extensions that violate approved estate plans.
According to the statement by the Lagos State government, the directive was issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, which warned that any structure built outside the approved layout of the estates, must be removed within the stipulated period or face enforcement action by the government.
During a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the Alausa Secretariat, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulhafis Toriola, once again issued the warning.
The session, held in the Ministry’s Conference Room, served as a platform for the Ministry’s management to discuss these concerns with the executives of the Ojokoro Estate Residents Association from Meiran.
He noted that the full scale of the unauthorized building extensions and developments only became obvious to him during a recent inspection of the estate.
“The Ministry will not fold its arms and allow the distortion of the original master plan of any State-owned estate.
“All allottees were duly informed of the rules and regulations governing their properties before allocation, as clearly outlined in the Allottee’s Guide. Any breach of these provisions will attract appropriate sanctions,” the Permanent Secretary stated.
Following the meeting, it was agreed that all recorded violations within the estate must be cleared away within a four-month period.
Toriola further revealed that the ministry had already obtained the required authorization to demolish illegal buildings and start work on restoring the estate to its original, officially approved design and planning specifications.
He clarified that the move was intended to rectify existing issues, bolster security, and upgrade the estate’s overall look, rather than to penalize the homeowners.
The Permanent Secretary also responded to assertions from some residents who claimed they had received permission from the Lagos Building Investment Company for certain modifications to their buildings.
Tosin Olugbile, the Assistant General Manager of the company, refuted those claims, making it clear that no such building modifications had been authorized.
In response, Taiwo Akinde, the Chairman of the Ojokoro Estate Residents Association, voiced his worry regarding the growing number of unauthorized structures appearing throughout the estate.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the residents’ association stands behind the government’s initiative to reorganize and fix the estate.
As part of their ongoing efforts to work with the community, the Ministry’s directors and the Monitoring and Compliance team joined the residents’ association for their general meeting on February 28, 2026.
During the session, residents were briefed on the government’s official stance and the importance of strictly following the estate’s established guidelines.
Reaffirming this position, Toriola stressed that the duty to protect and maintain state-owned housing projects rests on the shoulders of both the government and the residents.
“State-owned housing estates are planned communities developed to specific standards. Any alteration inconsistent with approved plans compromises infrastructure integrity, environmental balance, and public safety,” he stated.
Consequently, the Lagos State Government has urged residents in all its housing projects to strictly adhere to the set guidelines.
The ministry further cautioned that the government will take appropriate measures to protect public assets and preserve the structural and environmental integrity of its housing estates.
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