The decision by the Lagos State Government to abolish manual processing of building approvals and fully transition to the Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS) is a bold and commendable reform. But it should be matched with adequate political will, the provision of digital infrastructure, and the proper reorientation of officials and other stakeholders to prevent frustration and failure.

At a time when Lagos continues to expand rapidly as Africa’s commercial nerve centre, modernising the state’s planning approval process is both necessary and inevitable. A state aspiring to become a globally competitive smart city cannot continue to rely on slow, paper-driven bureaucratic procedures that encourage delays, corruption, inefficiency, and poor record-keeping. The promise of transparency, accountability, traceability and faster service delivery is attractive to investors, developers, professionals and ordinary citizens alike.

A properly functioning digital approval system can significantly reduce human bottlenecks, minimise file disappearance, improve compliance with planning regulations and curb the discretionary powers that often breed corruption within the property administration system.

For decades, obtaining planning approvals, Certificates of Occupancy, Governor’s Consent, survey plans and other land documents in Lagos has been associated with frustration, uncertainty and excessive delays. Property owners and developers routinely complain about files getting trapped in endless administrative circles, requests for unofficial payments and repeated physical visits to government offices before any meaningful progress is achieved.

The consequences have been severe. Many citizens, discouraged by the cumbersome approval process, resort to informal development, unauthorised construction and outright avoidance of regulatory procedures. This weakens urban planning, contributes to the proliferation of illegal structures and, in extreme cases, fuels the menace of building collapse.

Against this background, the state government’s insistence on digital processing represents an important opportunity to reset public confidence in the planning and land administration system. But while the policy direction may be sound, the larger concern remains whether the digital infrastructure itself is capable of delivering the promised efficiency.

This is where public scepticism becomes understandable. Lagosians have heard promises of digital transformation before, yet their daily experiences with many government portals remain deeply frustrating. Far too often, digital platforms are inaccessible, unstable or painfully slow.

In similar endeavours, the general experience has been that applicants struggle with portals that fail to open, systems that repeatedly crash during document uploads, and applications that remain “under processing” indefinitely without explanation. In many cases, applicants who are supposed to enjoy the convenience of online processing eventually find themselves physically visiting government offices to “follow up” on files that have been trapped within the system for weeks or months.

This defeats the entire essence of digitisation. A digital process should eliminate unnecessary human contact, reduce opportunities for extortion and shorten approval timelines. It should not become another bureaucratic layer that forces applicants to spend additional money and time before their applications can move forward. Unfortunately, this has become the reality in several public digital services across the country. What should ordinarily take a few hours online often turns into weeks of uncertainty, repeated complaints and financial “mobilisation” before any progress is made.

The Lagos State government must therefore avoid digitising inefficiency. Merely replacing paper files with electronic portals will not solve the underlying structural problems if the same bureaucratic culture remains intact behind the screen. Technology alone cannot deliver reforms where accountability is weak and institutional resistance persists.

Indeed, one of the greatest dangers facing the EPPPS initiative is internal sabotage. The government should honestly confront the possibility that some individuals who benefited from opaque manual processes may deliberately frustrate digital systems to sustain unofficial channels of influence and financial gain. Many citizens strongly believe that some public digital platforms are intentionally designed to make it difficult to compel applicants to seek assistance from insiders or intermediaries. Whether perception or reality, such distrust undermines confidence in government reforms.

The state government should therefore establish strict monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the new system is not compromised from within. There should be measurable timelines for approvals, transparent tracking systems, and effective complaint-resolution channels. Officers who deliberately delay applications, manipulate files, or frustrate users should face sanctions. Digitisation without accountability will only create a more sophisticated form of the same old inefficiency.

The experience with the e-affidavit system should serve as a warning. What was introduced to simplify legal documentation has, in many instances, become another source of delay and frustration for Nigerians. Applicants frequently complain that e-affidavits take days or even weeks to be processed despite being advertised as an online service. Such delays are unacceptable in an era when digital systems are expected to provide instant or near-instant service. Lagos must ensure that the EPPPS does not travel the same path.

Another major issue that the government must address is affordability. The digitisation of planning approvals and land documentation must not become another avenue for increasing costs on already struggling citizens. The economic realities facing many Lagos residents are harsh. Inflation, rising rents, high construction costs and declining purchasing power have placed enormous pressure on households and small-scale property owners. Many people already view planning approvals and title documentation as excessively expensive and difficult to obtain.

Government must therefore ensure that charges associated with the new digital system remain reasonable, transparent and publicly accessible. Hidden charges, multiple levies and exploitative consultancy practices must be discouraged. If the cost of obtaining approvals remains beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, many will continue to avoid the formal system altogether, undermining the objectives of urban regulation and compliance.

Accessibility is equally important. Not every Lagos resident is technologically sophisticated. Many artisans, small property owners, elderly citizens and residents in underserved communities may struggle to navigate complex online platforms.

Government must therefore provide user-friendly interfaces, responsive customer support and physical help centres where citizens can receive genuine assistance without exploitation. Digital governance must be inclusive, not elitist.

Furthermore, internet connectivity and electricity challenges remain realities in Nigeria. A fully digital process that assumes uninterrupted internet access and constant power supply may inadvertently exclude vulnerable groups. Lagos must therefore invest not only in software but also in the operational infrastructure required to sustain seamless digital governance.

The idea of linking the digital transition with broader reforms, such as accredited compliance programmes and decentralised e-GIS regional offices, is significant. These measures, if properly implemented, can strengthen oversight and improve service delivery. Building collapses remain a recurring tragedy in Lagos, often resulting from poor supervision, non-compliance with regulations and weak enforcement. A transparent and efficient digital approval process, supported by credible monitoring mechanisms, could help reduce these incidents and improve safety standards across the state.

More importantly, an efficient land administration system is critical to attracting investment. Real estate investors and developers require predictability, speed and legal certainty before committing capital. Delays and uncertainty in obtaining approvals discourage investment and increase project costs. If Lagos successfully implements a reliable digital system, it could strengthen its reputation as one of Africa’s leading destinations for property and infrastructure investment.