The Lagos State Government has sealed off an eight-floor property belonging to Mikano on Queens’ Drive, Ikoyi, for disregarding a stop work order. The property was undergoing construction when it was sealed during a joint inspection by the Commissioners for Waterfront Infrastructure Development and Physical Planning & Urban Development.
The commissioners expressed their disappointment that the company had ignored the stop work order and continued construction. “We have received several petitions and complaints,” stated Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Ekundayo Alebiosu. “This is why I am here with the Commissioner for Physical Planning, to test the veracity of those claims.”
Alebiosu emphasized that the government will not tolerate such blatant disregard for the law. “Government cannot ignore and still ask us to do what we are doing,” he asserted. “It is a process. We issued a stop work order two weeks ago, but they disobeyed. We are here today and we saw them still working, so we had to stop them again, and you can see they have obeyed that order. We are expecting them to give us their documentation.”
Olayinka warned developers to stop flouting the law and comply with regulations. “The Physical Planning law states that all developments must be approved before you begin construction,” he declared. “And not only that, you need our control in terms of certifying stages. Most of the structures you see along the waterway do not have approval. This is why we are marking them. Those of them that we have identified to have extended beyond the approval given, we shall force them to comply.”
Olayinka added that the government will be issuing quit notices and demolishing non-compliant structures in the near future. “So I’m using this opportunity to warn those in this habit to stop,” he emphasized. “They should do the right thing. Again, we’re going to come out very heavily. Quit notices will be served and demolition will follow.”
This is not the first time that the Lagos State Government has taken action against developers who have flouted the law. In 2019, the government demolished a 21-storey building in Ikoyi that was under construction without approval. The government has also warned developers to stop building on wetlands and to comply with environmental regulations.
The government’s actions are in line with its efforts to improve urban planning and development in Lagos. The city is one of the fastest-growing in the world, and the government is working to ensure that it develops in a sustainable and orderly manner.