President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern warning to developers against erecting structures on designated setbacks around the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, threatening demolition without compensation.
He emphasised that the Federal Government would rigorously enforce these regulations in the national interest.
At the commissioning of the first 30 kilometres of the highway in the Lekki area of Lagos on Saturday, President Tinubu stated; ‘Let me, at this stage, warn all developers. The Federal Government will enforce the setbacks, if not for anything; it is for the interest of our nation’.
Setbacks’ refer to the mandated distance a building must be from a road or property line, typically ranging from 3 metres to 9 metres.
In Lagos, these regulations are enforced by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to ensure proper ventilation, privacy, safety, and urban planning.
The President explicitly stated that the construction of houses and other structures on these setbacks surrounding the highway would not be tolerated.
‘Development without approval will not be compensated (if demolished). We have gazetted and published the setbacks. We are going to enforce it rigidly in every way possible’, President Tinubu declared, signalling a firm stance on urban planning compliance.
Furthermore, he urged all road users to meticulously maintain the newly commissioned piece of infrastructure.
‘As we celebrate today, let us reflect on our collective responsibility to preserve our infrastructure. The government can build roads but this is left for us citizens to maintain. Motorists and residents alike are hereby encouraged to utilise this opportunity very effectively and well’, he advised.
The commissioning had in attendance several high-profile dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; Finance Minister, Chief Wale Edun; and Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.
Also present were second-term governors such as Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), among others.
