By Kingsley Adegboye

The uncontrolled urban sprawl due to lack of approved layouts for various development projects along Lekki Peninsula, Lagos has continued to remain a major concern for built environment experts.

This was demonstrated last week as Propertygate Development and Investment Plc brought together built environment stakeholders to discuss this nagging issue of housing projects springing by the day along Lekki corridor without approved layouts by relevant government authorities, under its bi-annual Breakfast Session series. The theme of the second in the series of the sessions was “Obtaining Building Plan Approval in Lekki Peninsula- The Conditionality of Approved Layout”.

Leading the discussion, Mr. Adetokunbo Ajayi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Propertygate, a  Lagos-based firm of real estate development, investment and advisory services, lamented that lack of approved layouts for various housing schemes and other developments along Lekki Peninsula has been the bane of the uncontrolled physical development of the corridor.

Mr. Ajayi who said the nature of expansion of Lekki Peninsula which is worrisome, is further complicated by government’s mass land acquisition policy which is not followed up with appropriate schemes through which the people can purchase land and develop in compliance with legal requirements, argued that developments along the corridor have continue to spring up as the increase  in population of Lagos residents has to respond to natural need for shelter.

Describing Lekki Peninsula as the fastest growing corridor in Africa, Propertygate boss noted that plans are very important for great cities, pointing out that if there is discipline in the implementation of Lekki layout, the development of the Peninsula will look the way it should be.

According to him, good planning will inform the emergence of good cities, pointing out however, that the undeveloped vast land in Lekki Peninsula around 1990 would have been an opportunity for Lagos state government to create a new city in Lekki corridor, but the state government did no seize the opportunity to create the new city by approving layouts for developments in the area.

Admitting that if the state government takes a reasonable approach towards the development of layouts, a lot of problems as being currently faced in the state, will be eliminated, Ajayi observed that the implications of lack of approved layouts will result to limited access to developed land, increase in of land, curtailment of developed projects, impact on corporate bottom line, impact on local, state and national economy, impact on employment creation and impact on housing stock.

On the way forward, he said layout should be used as condition precedent to granting of excision, requirement of layout for one hectare of land should continue, built area and already excised should have layouts and government should lead in the preparation of layouts.

Mr. Ajayi further noted that there should be development and planning guides to guide people, planning consultants should be used to complement efforts of government officials while investment can be recouped from applicants seeking building permits.

Corroborating Mr. Ajayi’s view, Mr. Ayo Adejumo of Ayo Adejumo & Co, a town planning consultant stated that building plan regulations request approved layout plans in excised villages, especially in Lekki Peninsula, Badagry and Epe areas among others.

Also describing Lekki Peninsula as one of the fastest physically and socio-economically developing area in the Sub-Sahara Africa, Adejumo said the corridor which is a home to many luxury and affordable housing estates, commercial, recreational, institutional and industrial developments should be devoid of emergence of slums, uncoordinated growth and direction.

Insisting that there must be mandatory layout or development plan to guide people, Adejumo who is the former general secretary of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), said the state government should allow development of housing estates that comply with relevant existing provisions of the Building Plan Regulations, adding that the government should prepare District Plans as provided for in the Model City Plan.

Calling for the incorporation of the existing developments in the new District Plans, he note that acceptance of developments in Lekki Peninsula will guarantee coordinated direction of physical growth and development, and will avoid emergence of slums and clumsy environment in the area.
He pointed out that developers, as stakeholders in physical development and housing provision, should be ready to comply with international standards, best practices and existing relevant and provisions of the state’s urban and development law that promotes and protects Lagos as a real mega city competing with other mega cities of the world.