By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Lagos State Government has reduced the minimum land size for estate development from 10,000 sqm to 5,000 sqm.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, during the maiden Quarterly Media Parley held at the Conference Room of the Ministry in Alausa recently.
Olumide stated that the lowering of the land-size requirement for estate developments in the state was in sync with current realities in Lagos State, where increasing population and urbanisation continued to push the demand for housing and estate developments, in particular.
He said, “Some of the promoters of the 176 non-complying estates, published in August, had come forward to seek assistance on how to regularise the status of their estates,” adding that the ministry was set to commence enforcement on the non-complying ones.
He continued, “Enforcement will commence soon on those in the list of 176 non-complying estates that have not come forward for regularisation.”
The Commissioner averred that plans were in top gear to extend the regulatory exercise to other parts of the state, including the Ikorodu and Ikeja axis, while also revealing the plan of the ministry to spell out requirements for communities that had been unilaterally converted to estates.
He emphasised the relevance of the Operative Development Plans of Lagos State to the development of the state, saying that projects like the Blue and Red Rail Lines, flyovers, and major highways had handshakes with the development plans.
“The state government has also completed the Alimosho Model City Plan, the Kosofe Model City Plan, the Lagos Island Model City Plan, and the Badagry Master Plan. I urge all agencies of government and other stakeholders to abide by the dictates of these plans, which we produced with the involvement of all stakeholders,” he added.
He highlighted the proactive efforts of the ministry in developing capacity for prescribing the requirements for specialised projects such as seaports, airports, and special highways, among others, while noting the success of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Agency in surpassing expectations in its core area of granting planning permits.
He emphasised, “The planning permit process is straightforward, and applicants can obtain their approvals within 10 days of making payments, as the process is now aided by the creation of more district offices, staff motivation and awareness creation, while the government will soon automate the process.
“The Lagos State Government’s plan for the transformation of informal spaces across the state, stating that the government was actively working to reclaim, redesign, and put to productive use a variety of underutilised and neglected spaces, particularly along power-line and gas-line corridors as well as drainage setbacks.
“Over 3,000 hectares of land have been identified in Lagos for this purpose. Areas often used informally and without proper planning are now being mapped out for structured developments such as parking zones to ease traffic congestion in high-density areas in the state,” he concluded.