Lagos State government has adopted measures to ensure voluntary compliance with the State Urban, Regional Planning and Development laws.
Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, disclosed this while responding to questions from newsmen at 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing in commemoration of two-year in office of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said one of the adopted measures was constant stakeholders’ engagement on the need to comply without the necessary development laws.
This, he said, has yielded enormous results by reducing the cases in courts during the time under review as well as increasing the number of compliance in the state.
The commissioner also said the measure was also the reason 29 collapse incidences were recorded out of identified 1, 121 distressed and dilapidated structures of which 231 were demolished.
He noted that developers are now pulling down defective buildings on their own to avoid forfeiting same to the government.
Expressing seriousness in the building laws, Idris said, about 293 enforcement operations were carried out across the state by the Special Operations Unit from the governor’s office.
He also said 2, 176 petitions were received, 432 cases were either resolved and referred to relevant Ministry, Departments And Agencies (MDAs), while 610 contravention notices were served in various parts of the State and 32, 522 properties were served statutory notices.
The commissioner further said, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has extended development plans to 30 communities, spread across different Council areas in the state.
The communities that have had their Local/ Action Plans so prepared are: Lafiaji Action Area Plan (2021-2031) in Eko District, Abule Oja Action Area Plan (2021-2031), Ajiwe Action Area Plan (2021-2031), Review of Maiyegun and Action Area Plan of an Extension to Aparakaja Casia/Abiodun Dada.
The ministry, he said, also undertook the review of Ojodu core action area plan and prepared Ilo Awela Community action area plan, Igbogbo core action area plan and Ologunebi Excised Village action area plan as well as Shasha Oguntade action area plan and Ladipo Osoro action area plan and others.
Salako noted that the State would derive maximum benefits from the preparation of the action area plans, including the effective control and proper development guide within its jurisdiction, functional land use pattern and arrangements, good road networks while urban regeneration of the slum environment would be achieved.
Other benefits are the provision of enabling environment for category of land uses, such as industrial, commercial, institutional and residential as well as investments in a sustainable manner.
The commissioner further explained that the development plans would bring about the provision of quality infrastructural developments within the planned area and guarantee a sustainable physical environment during the stipulated planning period.