Lagos govt assures issuance of planning approval in 10 days

As part of efforts to encourage the ease of doing business in the metropolis, the Lagos State Government has assured investors, developers, and home builders that planning approval will be issued within 10 days, provided all necessary requirements are fulfilled.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning in Lagos, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing on the State of the Environment in the state.

According to him, the requirements are simple and clear, comprising architectural drawings, structural drawings, technical planning reports, engineering reports from structural engineers, and a soil test if required. In addition, there must be evidence of tax payment by prospective applicants before planning approval can be granted.

“There must be evidence of your tax payment and that will simplify your process of planning approval. Once you’ve gathered all the necessary documents – architectural drawings, structural drawings depending on the size of the structure, technical planning reports, and engineering reports, plus a soil test if required – within 10 working days you will get your approval,” he explained.

He added: “Once you approach the office with your drawings, the officers there are well trained; they will give you guidance on any outstanding requirements. Once they take your documents and issue an assessment of what to pay, as soon as you make that payment, within 10 working days you will get your approval.” He urged journalists to put the Lagos 10-day planning approval process to the test.

Providing an update on the 176 blacklisted estates, the Commissioner said some developers have yet to comply despite the 21-day ultimatum issued to correct identified infractions. He explained that state laws empower the ministry to regulate and provide guidance for estate developers, including meeting procedures and requirements before estates can be developed.

“First, the chosen site must be suitable for that type of development. Secondly, it must be designed in line with planning requirements, which is what we call layout approvals. Before going into estate development, you must first obtain layout approval,” he said.

Dr Olumide lamented that many developers besieged Ibeju-Lekki, Epe, and Ikorodu to purchase lands meant for agricultural and industrial purposes, converting them into residential estates.

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“What we have seen is that people purchased those lands for estate development without considering their designated use. The majority of land around Ibeju and towards Ikorodu is marked for agriculture, while other areas are designated for industry. Yet people have partitioned these lands into unauthorised layouts, already selling them, especially to Nigerians in the diaspora,” he noted.

He warned that such estates will not be able to secure planning permits. “We identified some estates where processes had commenced but were left incomplete. That was why we issued a recent publication, giving 21 working days for developers to regularise their approvals. Some have responded, and we are correcting anomalies. For those yet to respond, the ministry is prepared to move to the field and enforce compliance. It would be embarrassing to residents if their estates were sealed off, so they should seize this opportunity to comply,” he cautioned.

The Commissioner stressed that the purpose of enforcement is not solely for government benefit but also for the comfort of residents. He reiterated that the Lagos 10-day planning approval initiative is designed to ease development, encourage investment, and ensure estates are built to standard for the wellbeing of their occupants.

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