THE Lagos State Government has rolled out strategic initiatives to reposition the built environment sector for greater effectiveness, improved governance and sustainable urban development.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, gave the assurance on Wednesday during the Lagos State 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing at Alausa, Ikeja.
Olumide said that the initiatives were aimed at boosting service delivery, encouraging investment, and tackling emerging challenges in physical planning across the state.
“We are deliberately upscaling the physical planning sector to match the evolving needs of our megacity status.
“These reforms are a major step toward a more efficient, transparent and inclusive built environment,” the commissioner said.
He said that one of the key reforms was the revamped inter-agency collaboration, which sought to streamline regulatory processes, eliminate bottlenecks and improve the ease of doing business by clarifying the roles of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Olumide also highlighted the establishment of the Lagos Physical Planning Summit, a biennial forum designed to foster stakeholder engagement and generate forward-thinking strategies for planning implementation, investment and sustainability.
He said that the maiden summit, held in October 2024, produced far-reaching recommendations, including a call to streamline planning permit procedures, review land tenure and environmental laws, adopt digital tools for urban management, and establish a high-powered implementation committee to oversee Operative Development Plans.
“With the theme ‘Rethinking Lagos: A New Vision for a Regional and Integrated Megacity’, the summit underscored the importance of integrating Lagos with neighbouring regions for socio-economic growth,” he added.
In response to identified gaps in policy execution, the commissioner announced plans to establish two new technical departments.
He said that one the departments – Plan Monitoring and Implementation Department – would oversee rollout of development plans across MDAs.
He added that the other department, Planning and Design Department, would focus on research, innovation and maintaining a robust design archive through a planning studio.
To encourage compliance and ease the burden on property owners, Olumide said that the state introduced a 180-day amnesty programme, offering developers and owners of existing buildings a chance to obtain planning permits without penalties for building without prior approval.
“This generous window, approved by Gov. Sanwo-Olu, ran in three 60-day phases from May to December 2024, and resulted in a significant increase in planning permit applications and revenue across Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority offices,” Olumide noted.
He said that in a bid to enhance manpower and service quality, the government also appointed 173 new town planning officers, facilitated staff attendance at professional conferences, and launched Outstanding Officers’ Award to reward dedication and excellence.
“These efforts underscore our unwavering commitment to a planning system that is innovative, responsive and people-centred,” the commissioner said.
