The Lagos State Government has denied revoking all existing building permits.
According to the statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Olaoye Olusegun, the clarification became necessary following a misleading headline report in an online news medium, stating that the Lagos State Government has revoked all existing building permits.
He said it should be noted that the issuance of planning permit is the prerogative of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA, which is under the supervision of the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The directive issued by the Special Adviser on eGIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde was that Letters of Authorization to commence construction, issued by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, needed to be revalidated because most developers, after obtaining the letter to commence construction fall short of engaging all relevant professionals in the building projects,” he said.
The revalidation, he said was to allow the agency to do proper audit and authentication of all the professionals that will be engaged in building construction in the State.
Babatunde also disclosed that buildings under construction that had been abandoned for a long time needed to be re-certified before recommencement of construction to ascertain the structural stability of the building project.
Dr Babatunde directed that henceforth, nobody should sleep in buildings undergoing construction and all construction work should not go beyond 7 pm everyday and there should be no building construction work on Sundays.
He further directed that property owners and developers should revalidate all letters of authorization to commence building construction issued to them.
He called on developers to always ensure that all relevant professionals in the built environment, such as civil/ structural, electrical, mechanical engineers, and architects, are engaged in building construction.