…Says future of Lagos cannot be built on unplanned expansion

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu, on Wednesday, presented land allocation letters to 98 villages within the Ito-omu community and other communities.

This comes days after the governor paid 3.1 billion naira in compensation to 300 property owners affected by land acquisition.

Speaking at the Ito-omu Link Bridge in Sangotedo, the governor stated that the project is more than land allocation; it is about giving each of these communities a secure place in Lagos’s physical future.

This initiative began in 2020, and the Lagos State government, through the Lagos State New Towns Development Authority (NTDA), has undertaken preliminary activities and prepared a land use plan for phases 1 (6,300 hectares) and 2 (10,000 hectares) of Ito-omu and adjoining communities.

The Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure has also commenced the construction of a link bridge connecting these project areas to Sangotedo. This strategic infrastructure will serve to enhance accessibility and facilitate the implementation of development plans.

The governor stressed that it is important that development does not leave these communities behind, but rather they should be carried along as partners in their transformation.

The governor further stated that the future of Lagos cannot be built on unplanned expansion; it must be built on deliberate planning, appropriate infrastructure, secure communities, and opportunities for Lagosians to prosper.

“As Lagos continues to expand and attract people, businesses, and investment, we must ensure that growth is not simply about how much we build, but how well we plan, how fairly we develop, and how many people we carry along,” Sanwo-olu said.

Speaking to the members of these communities, Sanwo-olu stated that these letters are more than just official documents; they are a recognition of their place in the future and an assurance that as the area develops, their communities will be preserved and not forgotten.

“So our responsibility is to ensure that planning brings better infrastructure, brings greater security, creates new economic opportunity, and improves living conditions while respecting the heritage and the identity that you have preserved over several generations.

I therefore urge you in turn to continue to work with government and the relevant agencies to ensure that the development in this area is orderly, sustainable, and beneficial to present and future generations,” he said.

Mr Kamar Olowosago, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, said, ” These acts demonstrate our resolve to ensure that indigenous communities remain important stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the state government’s transformational projects.”