The Lagos State Government has announced plans to mark illegal buildings on Banana Island for demolition, starting Monday, February 17, 2025.
The move targets violations of building regulations, safety risks, and unauthorised encroachments.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki, made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting on Banana Island recently.
He stated that structures found violating building codes, including those under high-tension power lines and within restricted shoreline areas, would be identified and subsequently demolished.
“From Monday to Friday next week, officials will come and mark the buildings. The following week, we will give you two weeks to get your documents ready. After that, I am going to pull everything down,” Oki declared.
He emphasised that the decision followed the government’s commitment to enforcing urban planning laws and ensuring public safety.
According to Oki, LASBCA has carried out similar actions in other parts of the state, including Abule Egba, Iya Niba, and Iyana Isheri, where illegal buildings under high-tension lines were removed.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr. Babatunde Olajide, reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s authority over land matters under the Land Use Act.
He noted that unauthorised land reclamation and sand-filling had disrupted Banana Island’s planned development, necessitating intervention.
He said, “While regulations mandate a 150-meter setback from the shoreline, the government has reduced this to 100 meters as a concession. However, some developers still fail to comply. Residents should cooperate, as the objective is to restore order and ensure safety, not to target property owners arbitrarily.”
To address complaints of illegal extensions, a committee led by the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban Development, Olalekan Sodeinde, has been set up.
Sodeinde noted that unregulated construction had led to environmental degradation on Banana Island, which was once a prime real estate destination, and assured that firm action would be taken to restore its integrity.
The chairman of the Banana Island Association, Abidemi Sonaike, welcomed the government’s efforts, emphasising the importance of proper planning and safety compliance.
“With enforcement imminent, property owners have been urged to regularise their approvals or face demolition,” he said.
