The Lagos State Government has restated its authority to enforce physical planning regulations within its jurisdiction, including the popular Trade Fair Complex in Ojo.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, said the State’s position was reinforced by a 2003 Supreme Court judgment and the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 (as amended), which empower Lagos to regulate and enforce compliance with physical planning laws.
He clarified that the Trade Fair Complex being situated on Federal Government land does not exempt developers and business owners from securing planning permits from the State or complying with its building regulations.
“We have acted decisively to halt further development of unapproved and unsafe buildings in the Complex, as a livable, organized, orderly and sustainable built environment is crucial to achieving our T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda,” Olumide said.
The Commissioner noted that the Trade Fair Complex had a long record of non-compliance with building regulations and had failed to respond to repeated appeals for voluntary compliance. He recalled that in November 2023, the State requested that all ongoing constructions within the complex be regularized with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, but developers ignored the directive.
Olumide stressed that the latest enforcement is not targeted solely at the Trade Fair Complex but is part of a broader campaign to ensure safety, livability, and well-being across Lagos State.