Lagos State Government on Monday revealed that only 246 property owners applied for Certificate of occupancy (C of O) in the last six years.
The government frowned at the non challant attitude of property owners to apply for CofO for their properties despite the benefit of securing their property.
The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Electronic Geographic Information System (e-GIS) and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, disclosed this at the ongoing ministerial press briefing to mark the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
According to him, while in the last six years only 246 C of O’s have been applied for, there were 649 applications for regularisation of C of O’s
He maintained that in the last six years 4,690 surveys were applied for, stressing that if people knew the importance of getting C of O, they will show more interest in getting it, saying getting the certificate is a better way to secure their property.
On the activities of an agency under his ministry, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), he noted that 8,663 building owners and developers were detected of infractions in their property in the last one year.
He added that 2,232 stage inspection was carried out by the agency on buildings under construction for compliance and conformity checks by the Inspectorate and quality control department of the agency, while 215 certificate of completion and fitness for habitation were issued to building owners and developers after stage by stage inspections, processed by LASBCA through its Building Certification Department (BCD).
Babatunde also added that 159 buildings were identified with verified building insurance policy by the agency insurance department.
He added that, in the last one year 3,610 enforcement activities were carried out by the enforcement unit of LASBCA.
The special adviser added that, the state government would soon go on enforcement move to ensure houses without certificate of completion, fitness and habitation in the state will be seal up.
He explained that 349 distress properties were brought down in the year 2023, while the state government took over 39 properties that collapsed from 2023 till date.
Babatunde said the taking over of such property is for a while to serve as punishment to owners of such property.
He added that owners of such properties have appealed to the state government for the release of such properties through the state government appeal agency.
He added that for the government to release such properties, the owners would be required to pay 60 percent of the cost of the propertybased on government’s valuation of it.
