The Federal Government has issued a warning to developers along the Lagos shoreline to regularize their projects or risk revocation and potential demolition.
This disclosed in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Salisu Haiba, on Thursday.
The ultimatum was issued by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, after his inspection of the Lagos Lagoon Estates and other shoreline developments on Thursday.
During the inspection, Dangiwa, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, and senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, expressed concern over the growing number of irregular developments along the Lagos Lagoon shoreline.
Dangiwa noted that these developments, involving unauthorized land reclamation and construction, are being undertaken without the necessary documentation or approval from the Federal Government.
He emphasized the need for compliance with regulatory requirements to prevent environmental and planning infractions.
“There is no room for haphazard developments on the Lagos shoreline. We are working closely with the Lagos State Government to address these anomalies and ensure that all developments are in line with the law,” he stated.
The minister’s inspection tour included a boat trip with officials from the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority to assess the situation firsthand.
During the visit, the team observed that some developers had reclaimed parts of the shoreline with sand and commenced construction without obtaining proper titles from the Federal Government, thereby violating established regulations.
In collaboration with the Lagos State Government, the Minister announced plans to jointly regulate development along the shoreline.
He stated that the Federal Government will not tolerate such unlawful activities and has given developers a one-month deadline to regularize their projects.
Non-compliance will lead to the revocation of titles and demolition of illegal structures.
“The Federal Government is in the process of documenting its assets nationwide, and we are particularly focused on ensuring that our shoreline properties are properly regulated,” Dangiwa explained.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development holds the authority to issue titles on the shoreline under the Land (Title Vesting) Act of 1975. Furthermore, the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority is responsible for granting permits for dredging along the shoreline.
