By Kingsley Adegboye

The ongoing urban development and slum renewal programme embarked upon by the Lagos State Government aimed at making Lagos metropolis a befitting mega city has received a boost with the completion of the model city plans as well as land use and infrastructure master plans.

Specifically, Ikeja Model Plan, Victoria Island/Ikoyi Model City Plan, Lekki Comprehensive Land Use and Infrastructure Master Plan have been completed while Mainland Central Model City Plan Badagry Draft Master Plan and Alimosho Master Plan are now awaiting the approval of the State’s executive council before they can be presented to the public.

Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Fransisco Abosede noted that central to the success of the commitment of the state in the area of physical planning, especially planned urban development and slum renewal was the introduction, management and strict application of master plans and model city plans.

The Commissioner said in the course of the four years of the administration, the Lagos State Model City Development Law was enacted in 2009 while the State Urban and Regional Planning Law was signed on July 7, 2010. According to him, the state urban and regional planning law has emphasized the establishment of the State Building Control Authority and also the reformation of the Ministry and its agencies, pointing out that the aim is to firm up all extant regulations on building control to ensure more professionalism on the part of staff, quality of building and wilful compliance with physical planning and building control regulations throughout the state.

“It is with certainty that we are proud that with the introduction of these laws in the state, the state will witness a better planned environment, a healthier condition of living and possibly an increase in the life expectancy. On the part of the state government, more emphasis will be placed on the conduct of officials especially those in the Building Control Agency while faster building permit processes including inspection and compliance with the development permit will be achieved’, Abosede said.

The Commissioner who noted that in the last four years his Ministry processed and approved a total of 7,600 building permit application out of a total of 12,804 while a total of 5,204 applications are under processing for approval, assured that more efforts and emphasis will be placed on speedier building permit process. He added that being the sole agency in the management and issuance of development permit, the Ministry is poised to embrace the ongoing reforms and determined to actualize the objectives behind the reforms.