Oyo begins 60-day building permit amnesty for property owners

Oyo State Government has commenced a 60-day Online Building Permit Amnesty (OYBPA) programme aimed at regularising buildings that were constructed without proper government approval.

The programme, which began officially on August 26, 2024, and will end on October 27, 2024, would also regularise those in violation of building regulations in the state and process new approvals within the 60-day window.

The state’s Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo, stated this, yesterday, in Ibadan, the state capital.

Akin-Funmilayo said the scheme was in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s transformation and sustainable development agenda, designed to enable the government to improve urban planning and enhance the security and safety of life and property within the state.

He added that the government had also approved that property owners could now get or regularise their building permits within the 60 days amnesty period at a 20 per cent discount rate.

The OYBPA programme, which is majorly an online process, will enable property owners to process their permits without falling victims to touts and middlemen.

The commissioner gave the guarantee of property owners getting an authentic permit that would prevent any further interference by the authority as regards their development as long as they adhere to the provisions of the approval.

He said that the application process for the amnesty period had started online across the 33 local councils of the state.

However, Akin-Funmilayo said that property illegally occupying state government acquisition zone, property within the circular road or circular road setback, property directly under the powerline zone, as well as property within the disallowable proximity to dam and stream would not be granted amnesty.

He said that property built on the road, within pipeline setback and under court/financial crimes matters would not be granted amnesty.

He said this scheme, like every other initiative, would be seamless and a worthwhile investment for the good people of Oyo State.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mofoluke Adebiyi, said the scheme would regularise the database of property in the state and ensure more security across all local councils in the state.