By Olasunkanmi Akoni
THE Lagos State Government has concluded plans to make the process of acquiring development permit easier in six  villages of the state.

The plans will allow  individual land owners and plot owners to obtain building development permit and also obtain their title documents on time.

The six villages include, Onigbongbo in Ibeju-Lekki  Local Government Area with a total land size of 35.19 hectare; Olowo-Ira in Kosofe council with a land size area of 81.76 hectares; Agbenaje in Mosan-Agbado LCDA with land size of 21.609 hectares; Shasha/Oguntade  bounded by Ikeja  and Alimosho councils with a area of 54.6 hectares; Isheri in Kosofe council with a land mass of 22.688 hectares and Ologolo in Eti-Osa council.

Speaking at a stakeholder’s meeting on the  plans, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Fracisco Abosede, said government was responsive to the needs of the villagers, who needed to develop their lands for various purposes but where initially hindered as a result of the state government land acquisition bottle neck.

He noted that the preparation plans were of symbiotic benefit for both the government and the villagers since it will afford development to get to the grassroots, thereby enlarging the mega city status of the state and improve the economic status of the owners of the land also.

Abosede explained that before now, the excised villages had illegally been developed without approval permit which makes it difficult for land owners to sell them since they had not obtained development permit or title documents.

He stated that government has simplified the process of obtaining development permit and the issuance of title documents within excised villages by preparing a development guide plan as a prerequisite.

He said “with this development guide plan, life will be better, properties will be legally strengthened and infrastructural development brought closer to the grassroots to tame the rural-urban drift. With the plan put in place, efforts are made at improving the physical, social, economic and environmental well-being of the village communities through the provision and incorporation of the necessary social and public infrastructure which are lacking in the existing situation.”