Lagos goes tough on properties without planning permit

Lagos State Government has urged members of the Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria (AEAN) not to deal in any property without a planning permit in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, gave the advice, yesterday, during a courtesy visit by the leadership of AEAN to the ministry.

Olumide said as stakeholders in the building sector, they should join the crusade for organised, orderly, and sustainable development by ensuring that everyone builds right.

He said that it would not be out of place for members of AEAN to request for the planning permit before agreeing to deal in a property, as doing so, would add to efforts to checkmate illegal development and enhance sustainability.

The commissioner said that contrary to the wrong notion, the process of obtaining a planning permit is straightforward, clear and simple.
He also enjoined the association to key into the Lagos State Urban Development Policy being prepared by the ministry by submitting memoranda that would form the policy.

Earlier, the Vice Chairman, Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria, Gbenga Ismail, reiterated the intention of the association to collaborate with the government in sanitising the built environment, especially as the association entered into the first decade of its existence.

Meanwhile, the state government has assured residents of the state of a safe 2024, promising that their safety will be prioritised in the year.
It also called on residents to always take proactive safety measures in personal, occupational, and business environments.

The state’s Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Olugbenga Oyerinde, said this during a management retreat held in Lagos with the theme: ‘Human Centric Safety Culture’.

Oyerinde said the estimated population of the state, which is over 20 million, urgently calls for a proactive safety consciousness rather than a reactive one, stressing that the safety of workers must be strategically positioned towards giving quality service to the people of the state.

Also speaking at the programme, Director-General of Lagos Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, said the mandate of the commission to regulate safety-related issues prompted the convocation of the retreat, which according to him, will enable Lagos State safety workers to discharge their duties optimally.

Mojola said the commission had scaled up its operations in the last four years and would continue to offer quality service delivery to ensure safety at all levels.
He expressed the commitment of the commission to expand its operations across the five divisions of the state and hinted at the launch of the proposed Occupational Safety Cadre by the governor this year.