The Lagos State Government has issued a two-week ultimatum to all developers and occupants of buildings within the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, to regularise the approval status of their structures in accordance with state planning regulations.
The directive was contained in a circular dated Thursday, October 9, 2025, and signed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide.
Olumide clarified that issues of land ownership and title are not in dispute at the Trade Fair Complex.
He, however, stressed that all developers and occupants must approach the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to obtain valid planning permits for their properties, as required by law.
He explained that the current enforcement drive is targeted solely at ensuring that all physical developments within the complex comply with existing approval regulations.
According to him, the state government maintains zero tolerance for illegal and unapproved structures, warning that necessary enforcement measures will be applied to achieve full compliance.
The commissioner decried the current state of the complex, describing it as a cluster of poorly planned and unsafe structures that pose serious risks to public safety and emergency response operations.
“In line with Sustainable Development Goal 11, ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,’ and the State’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda, the Lagos State Government is acting strictly within its constitutional and statutory mandate,” the statement read.
Olumide referenced the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992, as domesticated by the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019, and backed by the 2003 Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of Lagos State vs. Attorney-General of the Federation.
These legal instruments, he explained, empower state governments to regulate physical development within their territories, including federal lands, except areas reserved exclusively for federal use such as military installations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ongoing enforcement at the Trade Fair Complex is not about land ownership but strictly about ensuring that all physical developments meet the required planning and safety standards,” Olumide reiterated.
The state government urged all stakeholders and residents to cooperate fully with its regulatory efforts, which are aimed at achieving a safe, orderly, and sustainable physical environment across Lagos.
