The last few months hasn’t been the best of time for the real estate practitioners across Lagos State. The recent demolition of structures and buildings going on in Lagos has become a big issue among real estate investors, players, and other stakeholders in the sector.
There have been panics in the sector since the commencement of the demolition excersise across the state, as investors are withdrawing their liquidity and other investment.
Some of the common reasons why buildings are demolished in Lagos, when a building has become defectine and possess a great danger for human occupation.
Another reason could be if a building is sitting on a place designated for recreation or drainagement to carry water and waste into a major canal. However, a structure can be pulled down by the state government for any reason what soever.
Buildings That Are Outdated: Due to difficulty in maintenance and maintenance being expensive old buildings are demolished, unless they are historical buildings or fall under heritage category. Keeping up with present day’s safety standards and installing present day utilities may become increasingly difficult for outdated buildings. The buildings don’t necessarily have to be structurally dangerous. For example, neglected and empty buildings are put down because they may become a safe haven for drug addicts and other criminals, teenagers and young children out of curiosity may also seek adventure in these unkempt buildings. This can result in the building becoming a danger or a nuisance in the neighborhood and authorities might decide to demolish the building and utilise the place for a more positive way. That’s why some building are marked for demolition by the Lagos State Government.
Buildings with Poor Maintenance: Buildings require regular and maintenance and buildings that are neglected and not properly maintained become uninhabitable mainly because the structure becomes frail and many other issues may arise.
In the case of the above demolition, becomes a better option as sustaining the building, repairs and maintenance, are far more expensive than rebuilding the building after demolition.
In Lagos State, some buildings are erected on the waterways and drainages, hence prevent water flow and this lead to flooding. Some of these structures don’t have building approval in the first instance but beyond this, City People bring to you why more and more demolition will continue in Lagos.
A few weeks back, Mr Oluyinka Olumide, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban development in Lagos, says 80 percent of buildings in the Ibeju Lekki-Epe corridor have no government approval. Why?
“We went there (Ibeju-Lekki) and I can tell you that from what we saw, over 80 percent of buildings in that area do not have approval.
“The procedure to get approval is first to get the planning information, as to what those areas have been zoned for. In this case, what we have is agricultural land, and people now go to their families to buy agricultural land.
“Of course, those lands would be sold because those families do not know the use such land would be used for.
“The next thing to do is the fence permit. If you missed the earlier information on not knowing the area zoning, at the point of getting the fence permit, you would be able to detect what the area is zoned for. After that, the layout permits a large expanse of land.
A few months back, some houses were also demolished at Mende Estate in Lagos and this got many people talking. However, Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in the state, said the buildings demolished in Mende Estate were necessary to prevent flooding of the entire mainland.
Mr Wahab explained that the demolished structures were built on the right of way to the Odo Iya Alaro River’s System 1 drainage. He noted that the government had issued demolition notices to the residents in 2021 and 2023.
Another reason why structures are demolished in Lagos is that, Lagos has many shanties and illegal habitation which spread across the state. Some of these structures are hideouts of miscreats.
The Lagos State Government, while carryout a special task on this a few weeks back, discovered some under-bridge apartments under the Dolphin Estate bridge in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The apartments had 86 partitioned rooms, sized “10×10 and 12×10,” with each tenant paying an average of N250,000 annually as rent.
Another reason is that, a lot of property players in Lagos are selling land that solely belong to the government to their various clients. Some of this land are there in Ibeju-Lekki corridors with the hope of ratifying the land from the government in the future. The danger is that, if the government fails to ratify it, then the structures on it can be demolished at any time.
Other reasons are; Building Code Violations: Structures that violate building codes, such as improper construction materials or illegal modifications, may face demolition.
Illegal Constructions: Buildings constructed without proper permits or approvals from regulatory authorities are subject to demolition to uphold urban planning regulations. In 2023/2024, the Lagos government demolished properties in Lekki, Ogudu GRA, Surulere, Ikeja, Ikoyi, Amuwo Odofin, and some other places that have breached the State’s physical planning law, failed to get approval from the relevant authorities and that encroached on the right of way.
Unsafe Conditions: Buildings with hazardous conditions, such as fire hazards, electrical faults, or compromised foundations, may be demolished to guarantee public safety.
Public Infrastructure Projects: Demolition may occur to make way for public infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, or utilities.
In this case, owners of buildings with approval are adequately compensated.
Environmental Reasons: Buildings situated in environmentally vulnerable areas, such as floodplains or erosion-prone zones, may undergo demolition to mitigate environmental risks. An essential step in this process is conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment
Urban Renewal: Demolition could be part of urban renewal initiatives aimed at revitalizing blighted areas or upgrading outdated infrastructure.
Public Health Concerns: Buildings infested with pests, mould, or other health hazards may be demolished to prevent the spread of diseases and improve public health.
Abandonment and Neglect: Abandoned buildings that become havens for criminal activities or pose risks of collapse due to neglect may be demolished to restore safety and security.
– Isaac Abimbade
08155107955
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