The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) has announced plans to seal buildings without proper planning permits following the expiration of an eight-month amnesty period approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In a statement released on Thursday, LASPPPA confirmed the commencement of its 2025 compliance monitoring activities. This action follows the conclusion of an amnesty programme that ran from May 2 to December 31, 2024.
The statement explained, “The programme was orchestrated to allow owners and developers of existing structures without planning permits to come forward to obtain their permits without paying the usual penal fees for erecting buildings without prior approval.
“The authority is calling on property owners, developers, and residents to abide by the Physical Planning Laws and endeavour to obtain their planning permits. Following the expiry of the amnesty programme, the authority will be coming with its full force to seal all buildings without approval.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in October 2024, extended the amnesty period to give more time to property owners to regularize their permits. Initially set to expire at the end of October, the deadline was pushed to December 31, 2024.
Announcing the extension during the Lagos State Physical Planning Summit, the governor said, “The amnesty period has been extended till December 31, 2024.”
The summit, hosted by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development at Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, had the theme: “Rethinking Lagos: A New Vision for a Regional and Integrated Megacity.”
With the grace period now over, LASPPPA has urged residents and developers to comply with the state’s planning regulations to avoid sanctions as enforcement begins in earnest.