The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing unsafe and illegal structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo as part of efforts to enforce physical planning regulations.
The operation, aimed at restoring order and compliance, was carried out by officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.
Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the exercise in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
According to Gawat, the exercise targeted illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective buildings, and constructions on road setbacks and drainages.
“The Lagos State Government has begun removal of illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals and defective structures, and those built on road setbacks and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government Area,” he stated.
The demolition was carried out with support from the Office of Infrastructure, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and security agencies.
FLASH: Lagos State Government begins removal of illegal development, structures without statutory approvals and defective structures and structures built on road setback and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government area.
Office the Lagos State Urban… pic.twitter.com/1bQ7mb5eXx
— Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) September 25, 2025
The move follows last week’s directive suspending all land reclamation projects across the state due to environmental concerns.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the ministry was alarmed by the proliferation of reclamation activities on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoons in areas such as Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne, Ikoyi, Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, and Ikorodu.
Wahab warned that many projects lacked proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals and drainage clearance. He added that although reclamation supports housing and infrastructure, it poses significant risks of flooding, erosion, and ecosystem disruption.
“Lagos’s low-lying topography and fragile ecosystem cannot withstand indiscriminate reclamation activities without grave consequences,” he cautioned.