
Homelessness looms as Lagos identifies 176 illegal estates
CITIZENS COMPASS—Except urgent measures are taken, many families may be homeless in Lagos State as the state government on Monday, declared 176 estates as illegal.
It gave 21 days ultimatum to the occupants of the “illegal estates” to rectify their documents.
According to the state government, the “ 176 illegal estates” developments, are predominantly located in the Eti-Osa, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki, and Epe axis of the state and all have been given a 21-day ultimatum to process their layout approvals.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mukaila Sanusi.
The statement read, “These estates, deemed illegal due to their failure to obtain layout approvals from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, were listed in a document published by the Ministry on Monday.”
According to the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Oluwole Sotire, the illegal estates compromised the sustainable development ethos and the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda of the Lagos State Government by operating without approved layouts.
He said, “The identified illegal estates include Adron Homes, Elerangbe; Aina Gold Estate, Okun-Folu; Diamond Estate, Eputu; Prime Water View Garden, Ikate Elegushi; and Royal View Estate, Ikota, among others.
“The Permanent Secretary has given the owners of these estates 21 days to submit the necessary documents to his office in the Ministry of Planning and Urban Development, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, to process their layout approvals.
“That exercise is a routine function of the Ministry, in line with its mandate to regulate the development of public and private estates in Lagos State by processing and granting layout approvals to foster a functional, organised, orderly, and resilient smart city, as encapsulated in the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda of the Lagos State Government.”
He also emphasised the importance of all developers and real estate practitioners registering with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which is responsible for regulating, coordinating, and monitoring real estate practitioners in the sector.