FG Gives Building Owners on Lagos’ Shoreline a Month’s Ultimatum for Documentation 

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has given owners of buildings and other structures along Lagos’ shoreline to do proper clearance and documentation within a month or their property would be demolished.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, stated this in Lagos during a stakeholders’ meeting on land administration, as well as a physical tour and assessment of Banana Island, Osborne Phases One and Two, Park View/ Foreshore Estates and the shoreline.
Dangiwa said the federal government has authority over shoreline titles, adding developers who failed to comply with legal requirements of appropriate sanction.

“To curb these practices, the ministry issued a one-month ultimatum for all developers on shorelines to regularise their papers or risk having their properties revoked and demolished.

“We have observed numerous haphazard developments along the shoreline, where people have reclaimed and built on land without proper clearance or authorisation. This is unacceptable.”

The minister also told those who who purchased federal government land and houses in Lagos State to remit their ground rent to the federal government.

He said, “While the Federal Government is committed to renovating, safeguarding and optimising the value of its assets nationwide, it will also enforce strict compliance to its land and estates administration laws.

“The Ministry is resolved to ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the law regarding the control and administration of its assets to maintain order.” 

Estate associations or any other party, he said, are not authorized to collect federal government’s ground rent but that they could collect facility management fee from the occupants of the estates.

He said, “This is known to be the facility management fees which all estates usually charge in order to maintain the estate, but they should not go beyond that to collecting ground rent from the occupants.

“The ground rent is meant for the federal government.

“If they are collecting it on our behalf, they should remit it fully, otherwise we are going to engage our own staff to do it or engage consultants to do so on our behalf.”

The minister said the federal and Lagos State governments were discussing how to harmonise payment of tax on its assets and land administration, to address double taxation on owners of the federal government estates and land.

According to him, “We are one government, and it is vital that we work as partners to ensure effective administration of Federal Government assets.
“Proper coordination will prevent exploitation by third parties and ensure compliance with the law.”