₦airaland Forum

The Lagos State Government has expressed determination to check and control what it called rising unregulated activities on open spaces, called informal spaces in a renewed measures at ensuring maximum regulation through effective compliance interventions.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, who expressed this on Wednesday, said such activities pose serious challenges to orderly urban development.

Olumide noted that one of the most visible signs of rapid urban growth in Lagos is the increasing pressure on space.

Informal spaces include: road setbacks, walkways, drainage corridors, spaces under bridges, road medians, and undeveloped government land that were never intended for permanent commercial or residential use

Over time, many of these spaces have been occupied for trading, parking, storage, and temporary structures without planning approval. While such uses may provide short-term livelihood opportunities, their uncontrolled expansion has long-term consequences for the city as a whole.

According to the commissioner, “”As the city expands in population, commerce, and mobility, public open areas that were originally planned for movement, safety, drainage, aesthetics, and environmental balance are gradually being taken over by unregulated activities.

These areas, commonly referred to as informal spaces, now pose serious challenges to orderly urban development.

“Across Lagos, the effects of unregulated spaces are evident: pedestrian walkways blocked by stalls, drainage channels obstructed by makeshift structures, traffic congestion worsened by roadside trading, and public spaces losing their aesthetic and environmental value.

“These developments undermine mobility, increase safety risks, worsen flooding, and weaken the effectiveness of urban infrastructure.

Physical planning exists to balance competing needs within limited space. It ensures that land is used in a way that supports safety, functionality, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.

When informal use of space grows unchecked, that balance is lost. What emerges is not a city that works for everyone, but one where disorder becomes normalised and public interest is gradually eroded.”

“The Lagos State Government’s renewed focus on administering and regulating informal spaces must, therefore, be understood within this broader context.

“It is not an attempt to deny livelihoods or punish vulnerable groups, but a necessary step toward restoring order, protecting public infrastructure, and ensuring that the city remains liveable for present and future generations.

“The Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2019 (as amended) provides a clear legal foundation for this responsibility.

“It assigns the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development the mandate to manage land use, coordinate development, and regulate spatial activities across the State. Informal spaces, being part of the urban fabric, naturally fall within this scope.

“However, regulation alone is not enough. Experience has shown that enforcement without understanding breeds resistance, mistrust, and conflict.

When road setbacks are blocked, emergency response is delayed. When drainage corridors are encroached upon, flooding worsens. When walkways disappear, pedestrians are forced onto highways, increasing accidents.

donareal:
check agberos and touts

oyeb15:
That walkway u are walking on in d afternoon is some peoples bed at night . There are many practices in Lagos that a newcomer will find so absurd.
The south west governors should meet on expansion and development. South West states should create jobs, housing,fund SMEs , grants to spread development. Lagos have brilliant ideas other south west states can key into.

As for other States,their governor should continue with looting while they stay in Lagos fighting for Biafra and calling Lagos a no man's land.

YouAreNobody:
Lagos is, has always been and will always be no man's land

YouAreNobody:
Lagos is, has always been and will always be no man's land

Yampotatocarrot:
Mr Commissioner, are you saying you don't know those people pay for the spaces and even have tickets for them issued by the local government?

Start from there

erniok2:
The LG officials that keeping issuing tickets to roadside stall owners must be arrested if they are really serious to curb this menace.

WizardOfNG:
Yes they should look into the legitimate point you raise. Yet, complicity of State officials is no excuse for those found wanting in terms of the illegality of their actions.

Ignorance is no excuse in law. You cannot claim paying a LASG official to rent space on a walkway or public space, for example, is tenable excuse to not be removed from such space that commonsense indicates is for pedestrian and public use.

[b]Not erection of stalls, joist, Pako houses eta[/b]l.

Ironfaceman:
Good bless Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, for his eagle eye observation.

Lagos mainland is fast becoming a dung hill. If you lived in lagos in the 80s and look at mainland lagos now, you'll shake your head in regret.

Like the commissioner said population explosion if left unchecked can become a menace.

Those informal spaces we use to love about lagos like the walkway, river banks, the pedestrian aisle and open fields have been converted to make shift residence and places for open defecation.

The state government should do the needful before the rot starts to smell.

Lukuluku69:
Don't mind them all.

Go to Ebute Metta right now, the spaces underneath the Bridges constructed over the Rail lines has now been turned into an open market by the Lagos Mainland Local Government.

Millions already collected. Movements is highly restricted severely because the Traders wares display take up the whole space.

Killermamba:
everything is not about building demolition, first let the government fix the issue dumping of refuge on the walk way or road side. Secondly checkmate the activities of these abokis who are majorly homeless

keemsleek:
Then every states are no man land. Go and misbehave in the public and stay in oshodi and shout lagos is no man's land not talking online

YouAreNobody:
Call my state a no man's land, I wouldn't mind.
You guys just make stupid things to seem important while you neglect the important things. The funniest thing is the people making noise about Lagos being called no man's land aren't even from Lagos. It's the Ekiti, Oyo, Osun etc people who make the most noise in Lagos while the real lagosians don't have time for such nonsense

keemsleek:
7


The way you will protect the SE is the way they will will protect the SW. I'm from the SS and will side and protect the SS. So whether ogun, oyo, ondo, osun they will protect lagos like ebonyi, Enugu imo etc will protect Abia. So you see there are over 774 tribes living In lagos and if you don't respect your host your host will bring its brothers to fight back. Lagos is SW and it's belongs to the yorubas. It's like when I was in imo state and I know tell them because they showed me love and accommodated me, I will now tell them imo is no man's land even me myself know they will dump me at the onitsha bridge. Even when I was madly in love with a lady there and the family said no despite the support I had. I had to listen to the elders advice to let go. Respect for host.

keemsleek:
7


The way you will protect the SE is the way they will will protect the SW. I'm from the SS and will side and protect the SS. So whether ogun, oyo, ondo, osun they will protect lagos like ebonyi, Enugu imo etc will protect Abia. So you see there are over 774 tribes living In lagos and if you don't respect your host your host will bring its brothers to fight back. Lagos is SW and it's belongs to the yorubas. It's like when I was in imo state and I know tell them because they showed me love and accommodated me, I will now tell them imo is no man's land even me myself know they will dump me at the onitsha bridge. Even when I was madly in love with a lady there and the family said no despite the support I had. I had to listen to the elders advice to let go. Respect for host.