Lagos Govt begins demolition of unapproved buildings

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has again reiterated the State Government’s commitment to zero-tolerance for unapproved and haphazard building construction in the State.

Speaking during the demolition of a building at Olutunda Street, off Ade Akinsanya Street Ilupeju, Lagos on Monday, the General Manager of the Agency, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, said the building in question was identified by a team of LASBCA monitoring officers in August 2020 and all efforts by the Agency to prevail on the recalcitrant owner to follow due process and best practices, in consonance with the directive of the Agency, proved abortive.

“The illegal structure which has no building approval was built on a drainage channel, wall fenced with no airspace. The building had previously been served all statutory enforcement notices in line with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning Development Law of 2010 with no response from the owner/developer, hence the Agency had to remove the building”, Oki said.

The General Manager emphasised that the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of the building by the Agency to ensure a better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and property.

He added that the demolition is a signal to any would be recalcitrant developer who circumvents Government rules and regulations of the law, stressing that the structures shall be removed by the Agency and the cost of removal shall be borne by the owner.

While noting that people have shown disregard for State laws on building construction in the past with worrisome resultant effects, Oki appealed to building owners and developers to desist from starting building projects without obtaining necessary building approvals.

He insisted that building owners/developers should seek authorisation from LASBCA, hire the services of relevant building Professionals, speak to safety and test their building materials before commencement of building construction, subject to the type of structures they are putting in place, to make the buildings safe, secure and fit for habitation.