Lagos Demolishes Illegal Structures at Trade Fair Complex to Enforce Planning Laws

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The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing illegal and unsafe structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, as part of efforts to restore order and enforce compliance with physical planning regulations.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the operation in a post on X, saying it targeted:

• Developments without statutory approvals,

• Defective or unsafe buildings, and

• Structures erected on road setbacks and drainage channels.

Gawat said the government could not “fold its arms while unapproved developments blocked critical infrastructure and endangered lives.”

Multi-Agency Operation

The exercise was carried out jointly by:

• The Ministry of Physical Planning,

• The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA),

• The Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), and

• The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA).

They were supported by the Office of Infrastructure, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and security agencies who provided operational backup.

Bulldozers were seen pulling down marked structures while traders and shop owners looked on with concern over the impact on their businesses.

Background and Enforcement Drive

The Sanwo-Olu administration has repeatedly warned residents against erecting buildings without approvals or blocking drains and setbacks, stressing that such violations worsen flooding, traffic congestion, and urban disorder.

Officials explained that the demolitions follow the expiration of a state-wide amnesty programme, which allowed owners of unapproved or irregular buildings to regularise their structures without penalties. With the window now closed, LASBCA has launched active removal of illegal constructions across Lagos.

Similar exercises in areas like Oworonshoki have previously sparked backlash from displaced residents, who complained of insufficient notice before demolition.

Despite the pushback, the government insists that strict enforcement is necessary to protect lives, safeguard infrastructure, and promote orderly urban development in Nigeria’s most densely populated city.