The Oyo State Government has said it is tightening building regulations to prevent further structural failures, vowing to eliminate building collapses through stricter oversight and improved compliance mechanisms.

The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Akin-Funmilayo, made this known on Thursday during the Omituntun 2.0 Inter-Ministerial Briefing in Ibadan, where he outlined new measures to ensure construction safety and urban development integrity across the state.

“We will protect lives and property by ensuring that homeowners and contractors comply with building regulations. We don’t want to lose any life to building collapse,” Akin-Funmilayo said, urging developers to seek proper approvals before commencing projects.

The commissioner, accompanied by senior ministry officials, also disclosed that the Ministry had introduced several reforms, including electronic allocation letters, an online plot selection system, a building permit amnesty programme, and a digital application platform aimed at increasing transparency and efficiency.

He said Oyo State had established 15 new Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) through a public-private partnership model. These include the completed Engr. Lere Adigun GRA, as well as GRAs named after past governors and prominent citizens, such as Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, and Chief Michael Koleosho.

According to Akin-Funmilayo, the Ministry is also pursuing full digitisation and archiving of documents, house numbering projects, and granting operational autonomy to the Physical Planning Department, all aimed at improving regulatory compliance and service delivery.

Highlighting achievements since 2019, he revealed that 17,046 digital title documents have been issued under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, with nearly 8,000 processed in the last two years alone. The Ministry also rolled out the Oyo State Property Reference System to boost land-based tax compliance.

The state’s land revenue generation has risen significantly, he added, growing from ₦4.8 billion in 2023 to ₦6.1 billion in 2024, with ₦3.2 billion already recorded as of May 15, 2025.

To enhance planning accuracy, the Ministry procured Real Time Kinematic (RTK) digital surveying equipment and digitised historical deeds and property records. A new Land Use Charge Law has been enacted, alongside the recruitment of 77 new staff to drive efficiency.

Compensation totalling ₦935.8 million was also paid to affected property owners during major infrastructure projects, including the Circular Road (East Wing) and Ajia Junction Interchange.

Responding to concerns over rising land prices in GRAs, the commissioner assured the public that the government remains committed to delivering affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners before the end of its tenure.