Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday inaugurated the Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, declaring that no regulatory system should exist beyond accountability and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and due process in the enforcement of planning and building regulations across the state.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of Lagos House, Marina, the governor said the establishment of the committee marked a major institutional step toward ensuring that residents, developers, and professionals affected by planning and building control decisions have access to an independent channel for redress.
“A government that regulates without providing for review is a government that has placed itself beyond accountability. Today, we close that gap in our physical planning system,” Sanwo-Olu declared.
He noted that while Lagos continues to witness rapid urban growth and increasing pressure on its physical infrastructure, regulatory institutions must operate within systems that guarantee fairness and public confidence.
“Lagos is a city of builders. Every day, developers, property owners, architects, engineers, and other construction professionals navigate the planning approvals and regulatory decisions that shape how this state grows,” he said.
“For the most part, that process works. But no system administered by human beings is infallible, and where decisions can be wrong, there must also be a pathway for redress.”
Sanwo-Olu explained that the committee was established in line with Section 79 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, saying the inauguration effectively transformed the legal provision into a functioning institution.
“Today, Section 79 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law moves from text on a page into a living institution. That institution is this Committee,” he stated.
“And with this inauguration, we make a clear structural commitment to fairness, transparency, and accountability in the administration of our planning laws.”
The governor highlighted the statutory powers of the committee under Section 82 of the law, explaining that it has the authority to review planning permit applications, development plans, changes of use, demolition notices, approvals-in-principle, and complaints involving planning and building control officials.
According to him, the committee is also empowered to summon witnesses, request official documents, and issue binding decisions enforceable by relevant government agencies.
“This is a significant mandate,” the governor said.
“If a developer submits a permit application and believes the refusal was unjustified, there is now a formal, independent forum for review. If a property owner receives a demolition notice and disputes its basis, they have 28 days within which to appeal and have that decision examined.”
He added: “If a building professional believes a regulatory officer acted improperly, this Committee is empowered to investigate that conduct. These are not trivial powers; they are the mechanisms through which public confidence in our planning system is either built or eroded.”
Sanwo-Olu, however, stressed that the committee must not be seen as a tool for weakening building regulations or compromising safety standards.
“I am also conscious that the building safety challenge in Lagos is real and serious,” he said.
“The incidents of building collapse that have claimed lives in our state and others across Nigeria are a reminder that the purpose of building regulation is not bureaucratic formality; it is the preservation of human life.”
He warned that while residents and developers have the right to challenge regulatory decisions, the committee must remain firm where public safety is at stake.
“The right to appeal a regulatory decision is a fundamental protection, but it is not a mechanism to circumvent safety. When the evidence supports the regulatory action of an agency, this Committee must say so clearly and firmly,” he stated.
The governor said members of the committee were carefully selected from across relevant professional fields, including town planning, architecture, engineering, surveying, law, and the public sector, in compliance with the provisions of the law.
“Your independence is the foundation of your value,” he told the committee members.
“You are not here to validate government decisions reflexively, nor to undermine the legitimate authority of the regulatory agencies. You are here to be fair.”
He urged the members to approach their assignment with professionalism, objectivity, and strict adherence to the law.
“The quality of your deliberations, the rigour with which you examine evidence, the care with which you weigh competing interests, and the consistency with which you apply the law, will determine whether this Committee fulfils its statutory purpose,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu also pledged that the Lagos State Government would respect and implement the committee’s findings and recommendations.
“I want to make one commitment to this Committee on behalf of the Government of Lagos State: we will respect your findings,” he said.
“Where your decisions reveal gaps in how our planning agencies communicate, process, or enforce their decisions, we will take those findings seriously and act on them.”
The governor further noted that the value of the committee extends beyond dispute resolution, saying it would also help government identify institutional weaknesses and improve the overall planning framework in Lagos.
“The value of an appellate body is not only in the individual decisions it makes, but in the systemic improvements it catalyses. I expect this Committee to use its institutional position to help us build a better planning system for Lagos,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu also commended the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency for their roles in maintaining orderly urban development in the state.
“With these remarks, it is my honour to formally and officially inaugurate the Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee,” the governor declared.
“I wish you wisdom in your deliberations, firmness in your judgements, and the satisfaction of knowing that your work serves the long-term interest of every person who builds, invests, or makes a home in our great state.”
