The Federal Government has suspended all approved, pending, and planned applications for land allocations and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) involving islands and lagoons. Applicants must now resubmit via the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) for proper coordination.
This action follows a presidential directive issued on July 30, 2025, placing a moratorium on developments involving shorelines, coastal roads, islands, lagoons, and other legacy federal infrastructure.
The directive, formally announced by Surveyor-General Abduganiyu Adegbomehin, aims to prevent distortions of the Federal Infrastructural Master Plan and align projects with the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Policy.
Consequently, any developments encroaching on rights-of-way or lacking proper survey coordination are now at risk of demolition. Approvals previously granted outside the OSGOF or Presidency especially if backdated or improperly assigned may be revoked.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has also been directed to submit all prior shoreline and lagoon approvals to the OSGOF and cease issuing such approvals going forward.
