LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its authority to regulate and enforce physical planning laws across the state—including at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo LGA—after enforcement teams on Thursday used cranes to pull down buildings alleged to be illegally developed, leaving many traders counting losses.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, said Friday the action is grounded in a 2003 Supreme Court judgment and the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 (as amended), which empower the state to issue permits and enforce compliance. He stressed that the Complex’s federal land status does not exempt developers from Lagos planning approvals or safety standards.
“We have acted decisively to halt further development of unapproved and unsafe buildings in the Complex. A livable, organised, orderly, and sustainable built environment is crucial to achieving our T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda,” Olumide said.
According to the commissioner, the Trade Fair Complex has a long history of non-compliance, including failures to heed a November 2023 directive to regularise construction with the ministry. Thursday’s operation followed multiple stop-work, contravention, and demolition notices, he added.
Traders at the complex, one of West Africa’s busiest wholesale hubs, lamented financial losses, alleging inadequate notice and calling for compensation or phased enforcement to allow relocation. The ministry said enforcement is an ongoing statewide exercise aimed at safeguarding life and property, citing risks linked to structural integrity, fire safety, access, and drainage.
Olumide urged all property owners and developers within the complex—and across Lagos—to submit building plans for approval, regularise existing structures, and comply with site inspections. He warned that any new unapproved works will face immediate sanctions, including seal-offs and removal.
The government said it will continue targeted actions at identified non-compliant sites, while engaging market leadership to streamline compliance, improve infrastructure, and ensure that future development at the complex meets planning, environmental, and safety codes.
