The Lagos State Government has given all developers and occupants of unapproved structures at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, a two-week ultimatum to regularise their buildings with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
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The announcement was made on Thursday, 9 October 2025, in a statement signed by Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The directive follows recent enforcement actions at the Trade Fair Complex, where illegal structures were demolished and others found to be non-compliant with planning regulations. “All developers and occupants of structures within the Trade Fair Complex are hereby given a two-week ultimatum to approach the Ministry to regularise the approval status of their buildings in line with extant regulations,” the statement read in part.
The government noted that the Trade Fair Complex has become overcrowded with unsafe and haphazard structures, posing risks to public safety and emergency response, necessitating the recent demolitions.
Addressing claims of ethnic bias in the enforcement exercise, the statement emphasized that similar actions have been carried out across Lagos markets and housing estates without regard to ethnicity. The government described attempts to politicize the exercise as “disingenuous and divisive,” citing examples such as Pelewura Market, Bombata Market, Alaba Rago, and LSDPC Low-Cost Housing Estate, Ilasan, among others.
The statement also referenced practices in several Eastern states, including Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo, which have undertaken demolition of illegal structures for flood control, urban renewal, or master plan enforcement without ethnic considerations, noting that Lagos’ actions are consistent with standard urban management practices.
The government reiterated that affected structures lacked planning approvals and disputed claims by Peter Obi that traders had secured permits. It further clarified that the Trade Fair Complex Management Board cannot approve building construction, as all developments require state planning permits.
Citing a 2003 Supreme Court ruling affirming state jurisdiction over physical planning and development control, even on federal lands outside core federal enclaves, the government stressed that all unapproved structures must be regularised within the stipulated two-week timeframe.
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