A group of urban development professionals and real estate stakeholders has called on the Lagos and Ogun State governments to step up enforcement of planning regulations and invest in infrastructure to tackle the growing problem of informal settlements and unplanned urban sprawl.
The call was made during a two-day workshop in Abeokuta, Ogun State, themed “The Impact of Emerging Technologies on Urban and Regional Planning: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Participants at the event, hosted by the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), expressed concern over the erosion of residential spaces due to unchecked commercial development, as well as what they described as government inaction on planning policies.
Babatunde Adeyemo, Managing Director of Pelican Valley Nigeria Ltd, criticized what he sees as a consistent failure to translate urban development policies into concrete action.
“Nigeria doesn’t have a policy problem—it has an implementation problem,” Adeyemo said. “You can’t expect people to move into areas where there’s no infrastructure. You end up with abandoned estates and wasted land.”
He pointed to the Muhammadu Buhari Estate in Kobape as a case in point. “You clear out communities without a development blueprint—how is that sustainable?” he asked.
ATOPCON President, Bisi Adedire, added that regulatory inconsistencies are further complicating land administration in the state. He shared an instance in Ota where a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the government 15 years ago was later overridden by another title over the same land.
“We’ve written to the Governor, to the Lands Commissioner—no response till now,” Adedire noted. “This creates confusion and undermines trust in the system.”
Professor Muyiwa Agunbiade of the University of Lagos also weighed in, saying the absence of digital land management systems has left Ogun’s planning processes vulnerable to manipulation.
“We flagged the Mowe-Ibafo corridor 20 years ago,” Agunbiade recalled. “Now it’s a sprawling slum. Officials are resisting digitization because the current system serves their interests.”
From the private sector, UPDC Managing Director Odunayo Ojo stressed the importance of rule of law in land management. “No economy thrives without structure,” he said. “The private sector can’t operate in chaos.”
Reacting to the concerns, Abiodun Adewolu, Senior Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Urban and Regional Planning, acknowledged the constraints posed by poor infrastructure and social congestion but said citizens also have a role to play by complying with existing planning laws.
“Planning is supposed to serve the public interest, but too often it’s reduced to just a tool for revenue,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Lagos State’s Permanent Secretary for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluwole Sotire, noted that while taxpayers have a right to demand accountability, the system must also be fair and inclusive.
“Good governance in planning requires engaging the right stakeholders from the beginning,” he said.
At the end of the workshop, participants called on both states to prioritize slum control, strictly enforce building codes, and embrace digital planning tools to create more organized, livable urban centers.
