Sanwo-Olu’s Policy On Housing Will Avert Building Collapse In Lagos – Aide

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

As part of measures aimed at curbing the reoccurring cases of building collapses in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given a 3-month window assessment in the early part of the 1st Quarter of his Administration to the public in order to ensure integrity test for building as well as for approval in the state.

Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Hon. Abdul-Akeem Ayodeji Amodu, while speaking on the sideline of the inaugural lecture ceremony of the 26th President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) held at the State House in Abuja stated that the 3-month window seek to find out whether the Properties already built are under pipeline, Sewage tanks and Tracks, or on the drainage area, or make the building are not even aligning with the building
codes, or not aligning with the master plan of the state.

Amodu explained that Governor Sanwo-Olu has however given the opportunity to the public to apply for their building plans approval and documentation, to make sure that their properties are duly titled adding that many estates in Lagos have no building Plan approval.

“So what Mr. Governor has done, in essence, is for individual and property owners or Groups should come up with their
documents, come up with your As-Built Plan.
The Commissioner of Physical Planning in Lagos State in the recent past has come up
with this idea through the policies of advice to the government . The Government & Ministries were shocked to discover that there are so many estates, so many homes in Lagos that don’t have
building Plan approval.

” Some don’t even have Architectural building plans, they don’t follow the building code,
So what we’ve done as Government is to allow people to engage Professionals like Architects, Town Planners, Estate Surveyors & Valuers, Engineers to assist them to come up with a document, even if you have built your House,
get an architect, let them design for you a proper As Built building plan. Then you come up to the
state to present it, because the Truth is that Governor Sanwo-Olu’s government is a people’s government. We don’t want to
come and start breaking homes or Bringing Buildings Down without Advocacy. The Government does not want to start making people homeless, because we need these
people.

“They’ll do the normal integrity
test on your building to ensure that the property is actually standing well on a solid
structure, so that you don’t, jave a defective building in future, after getting that approval, the building collapses”

Meanwhile, Amodu noted that in a bid to curb housing deficit in Nigeria, Lagos State has begun the development of housing projects in all the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state both on Public-Private partnerships (PPP) Joint Venture (JV) and Government Allocated resources Model.

He explained that the governor recently commissioned about 360 housing units of one, two bedrooms, and three bedrooms in different clusters which was hitherto abandoned in the state adding that the governor also commissioned 144 units of one, two and three
bedrooms as well as another 60 units of three-bedroom blocks of apartments in
Amuwo Odofin local government area 3 weeks ago.

We also still have on-going Project embarked upon by The Ministry of Housing,
LSDPC, LBIC and a host of other Government Real Estate Partnerships with the Government to be Commissioned soon by Mr Sellable. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s to realise his Administration s THEME+ Agenda for the State.

Amodu further assured that development will be even in the state as affordable housing scheme has also been made available for the masses to meet the demand of housing deficit in the state.

“We
are still making sure that we develop homes for the masses, we have a scheme
called the LAGSHOMS SCHEME which is A Rent- To – Own which is like pay-as-you-earn scheme, which is been Supported through the Lagos Mortgage Board for the
Lagoshoms where you pay 5% of the total cost and value of
that property.

“And every other amount of that property will be spread around for you to lpay within the
space of about 10 years. So it’s a way of bringing development to the people and residents of Lagos, by giving comfort to the less
privileged, to the working class, and to the Non-Structured Sector of the state.” He added.

Speaking on the inaugural lecture and Investiture Ceremony of the 26th President of The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers which was well attended by major stakeholders in Government,Legislature, and Captain of Industry in the built Sector and Environment, Amodu emphasized the symbiotic relationship between NIESV and Lagos State Government as cordial adding that governor Sanwo-olu is poised at ensuring professionals must take charge and full responsibility in a Professional manner of Real Estate Activities & events in the built industry as well as he also encourage and Admonished other Professionals by saying it is a Clarion Call to all other professional Bodies to embrace Professionalism so as to Deliver the Good for the Benefit of Lagos amd Nigeria’s Development as Whole.