Threatens to sanction house owners without planning permits

Lagos State Government, yesterday, called on all house owners without a building planning permit in the state to obtain it or face sanctions, disclosing that only 18,000 planning permits were processed last year.

The state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Oluyinka, gave the advice during a media briefing ahead of 2025 stakeholders’ engagement with the Theme: “Planning Permit: The Rebirth,” held at Alausa, Ikeja.

Oluyinka said that only 18,000 planning permit applications were received in the ministry last year, which he described as falling short of the expected 45,000 applications.

The commissioner, who emphasised the importance of building planning permits in any society, however, maintained that in the future, any building affected by development but without a permit would not be considered for compensation.

Oluyinka hinted that relevant professional stakeholders had been engaged to keep them abreast of the development with a view to educating those at the grassroots.

He warned that after the aggressive awareness and sensitisation, any building without a planning permit might be demolished in accordance with the Lagos Building Codes Law.

Oluyinka said that the building planning permit provides legal backing for property owners and aids law enforcement during emergencies.