The Lagos State Government has reiterated its firm stance against illegal and unapproved buildings within the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, warning that such developments endanger public safety.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, made this known in a statement released on Thursday in Lagos.
This comes after the state government recently carried out demolition exercises across several locations, including the Trade Fair area, to curb unregulated construction.
The operation, however, sparked backlash from some residents who accused the government of targeting a particular ethnic group.
Dr. Olumide dismissed those claims, emphasizing that the enforcement was guided strictly by law and backed by a 2003 Supreme Court judgment granting states authority over physical development within their territories—except in federally controlled areas.
He explained that the action aligns with the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992 and the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2019, which empower the government to promote a safe and orderly urban environment.
“The exercise at the Trade Fair Complex is not about land ownership but about ensuring that every structure has valid planning approval,” Olumide clarified, giving developers and occupants a two-week deadline to regularize their documents with the ministry.
READ ALSO: Lagos Govt Insists Trade Fair Demolition Was Lawful, Dismisses Criticism as Misguided
The commissioner cautioned political figures, particularly from the South-East, against stirring ethnic tensions or distorting facts for political gain, insisting that the demolitions were part of a broader campaign to ensure urban order and safety across Lagos.
He listed other affected areas where similar enforcement had taken place, including Pelewura Market, Bombata Market, LSDPC Ilasan Estate, Otumara in Ebute Metta, Alaba Rago, and Oluwole Market—locations occupied by diverse ethnic groups.
Olumide also pointed out that states such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo had undertaken comparable demolitions in pursuit of urban renewal and flood control, stressing that Lagos’ actions were not ethnically motivated.
“It is therefore misleading to attach ethnic interpretations to the enforcement. The Lagos State Government’s actions are always guided by law,” he said.
The commissioner urged residents and stakeholders to cooperate with the government’s efforts to create a safer, more sustainable, and better-planned city for all.