Lagos Government faults Peter Obi over trade fair complex demolitions
The Lagos State Government has faulted former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his comments on the recent demolition exercise at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said Mr Obi’s remarks during his visit to the complex were misleading and unfair.
Mr Obi, who toured the site of the demolitions, had praised traders for what he described as their “restraint” and claimed that the affected buildings had valid approvals. He further described the enforcement exercise as “a test of impunity, justice and compassion.”
But Mr Omotoso countered, insisting that none of the demolished buildings had proper planning permits. He explained that the state government had declared a general amnesty last year for property owners to regularise their documents—a window that was extended several times—but the affected owners failed to comply.
According to him, when officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning visited the complex, they were locked out and attacked before being rescued by the police. Efforts to invite the owners for dialogue, he added, were rebuffed.
Mr Omotoso stressed that the management board of the Trade Fair Complex, which is a federal agency, has no powers to grant building approvals. “Physical Planning and building approvals are within the remit of State Governments,” he said, citing the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992, as domesticated in Lagos State, which mandates that all physical development must obtain approval from the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
He further referenced the 2003 Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation, which affirmed that land use and physical planning fall under concurrent jurisdiction, and states have authority to regulate development control within their territories—including federal lands—except in exclusive areas such as military formations.
“The Trade Fair Complex Board may manage leases, tenancies, and commercial activities, but any construction, alteration, or development still requires Lagos State planning permit,” the commissioner explained.
