The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, has revealed that in 2024, the Planning Permit Amnesty Programme attracted a surge of applications as property owners took advantage of the opportunity to regularise their developments across the state.
He disclosed this while speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development through the Office of Physical Planning on Wednesday in Lagos.
He noted that the applications covered a range of land use types, including residential, commercial, mixed-use, and institutional projects. In the first phase (May–July), 4,877 applications were received and 2,151 approvals were granted. This was followed by 6,402 applications and 3,570 approvals in the second phase (August–October). The final phase (November–December) saw 7,210 applications, out of which 3,135 were approved.
He said, “Within the first phase of Amnesty (May-July, 2024). 4,877 applications for Planning Permits were received for various uses, including residential, commercial, mixed-use, and institutional, among others, while 2,151 approvals were granted within the same period.
For the second phase of the amnesty period, August – October 2024, 3,570 approvals were granted out of 6,402 applications. In the third phase of the amnesty period (November – December), 3,135 approvals were granted from 7,210 applications.
“To enhance the Planning Permit coverage in Lagos State, LASPPPA embarked on various initiatives, including the decentralisation and creation of additional district offices, human capacity building, and the establishment of a framework for ‘Operation 10-Day deal’ for Planning Permit processing. Others are awareness programmes and the subsequent intensive enforcement activities.”
According to him, between May and December 2024, a total of 18,489 applications for planning permits were submitted during the three phases of the amnesty period, introduced to encourage compliance with development regulations.
In total, 8,856 planning permits were approved within the eight-month amnesty window, signaling a significant response from property owners and developers seeking to regularise their developments.
The initiative, launched by planning authorities, aimed to streamline the approval process, promote orderly urban development, and generate updated data for infrastructure planning. Authorities have described the response as encouraging, noting that the amnesty has helped improve compliance and reduce the backlog of unapproved developments in the state.
The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority in 2024 had an eight-month amnesty period for property owners and developers who had completed structures without planning permits.
This period ran from May 2nd to December 31st, 2024, and allowed them to obtain permits without paying the usual penalties for building without prior approval. After this period, LASPPPA began monitoring for compliance and is expected to enforce penalties for buildings without permits.
Speaking on planning permit submission and approval for 2019 – March 2025, the commissioner noted that in the last six years, LASPPPA received a total of 57,347 applications for Planning Permits for various uses and granted 37,266 approvals within the same period.
“The uses applied for included residential, commercial, mixed-use, and institutional, among others. For instance, in 2024, the authority granted approvals for 95 hospitals, 27 petrol filling stations, 151 shopping malls, and 95 schools, among others.”
Addressing the preparation of development guide plans for excised villages, Olumide stated that to make the excised villages more sustainable and address the need to extend physical planning administration to Non-Schemed Areas, the office has ensured the completion and approval for use of a total of nine Development Guide Plans initiated for Awoyaya, Orimedu and Eleputu in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, and Sangotedo, Langbasa and Onikoyi in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, adding that others include Suberu-Oje in Alimosho Local Government Area, Apa in Badagry LGA and Ketu-Ijanikin in Ojo LGA.
He added, “As part of its statutory responsibilities, the Office of Physical Planning received a total of 77 applications, granted 35 Provisional Layout Plan Approvals and six Final Layout Plan Approvals between 2024 and April 2025.”
Olumide noted that to ensure that all parts of the state were covered by a plan (master and model city plans), the Lagos State Government, through the Office of Physical Planning, initiated or reviewed the following plans: Ikorodu Sub-Regional Master Plan (2017 – 2037) – completed, Kosofe Model City Plan (2020 -2040) – completed, Lagos Island Model City Plan – ongoing at 85 per cent completion, Ibeju – Lekki Model City Plan – ongoing at 85 per cent completion, review of Alimosho Model City Plan – completed, and the review of Badagry Master Plan – ongoing at 85 per cent completion.
He continued, “The Ikorodu Sub-Region Master Plan, initiated in 2016, has been completed, having received the Final report from the consultants within the reported period. Likewise, Kosofe Model City Plan, awarded in August, 2020, has been completed with the necessary milestones, including the submission of Inception and Baseline Reports, organisation of the Inception Workshop, completion of the Draft Final, Public Display and Final Stakeholders Sensitisation as well as the submission of the Final Report by the Consultant (Urban Planning Smart Solutions Limited).
“Equally important is the Lagos Island Model City Plan, which is being prepared to address the fast growth of developments in Lagos Island Sub-Region, and is at 65 per cent completion stage. The project, awarded to Messrs. Dal-Handasah, is awaiting the submission of the final report, having gone through all other stages. The Review of Lekki Comprehensive Master Plan is also at 65 per cent completion stage, while the Review of Alimosho Model City Plan is completed with the receipt of the final report from the consultants, Messrs. Corporate Castles Ltd.
The commissioner further noted that the review of the Badagry Master Plan has reached 85 per cent completion stage as the government awaits the submission of the Final Report, while the Ibeju-Lekki Model City Plan project is at 85 per cent completion stage.
He added, “Like all others, the Ibeju-Lekki Model City Plan is instructive as it is required to address the observed negative effects of growth and development and manage future growth in one of the fastest-growing corridors in the state. The project seeks to isolate the Local Government Area from the area of coverage of the existing Lekki Comprehensive Master Plan while addressing some of the issues that have been established by the inter-Ministerial Committee set up by Mr. Governor to save the corridor from Sprawling.”
