Developers in Lagos can now establish estates on smaller plots, as the state government has reduced the minimum land size requirement from 10,000 square metres to 5,000 square metres.
Announcing the policy, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, said the adjustment reflects current realities in Lagos, where rapid urbanisation and population growth continue to drive up demand for housing.
He explained that the review would encourage investment in residential estates and make development more accessible to promoters.
Olumide noted that several of the 176 non-complying estates identified in August had already approached the ministry to regularise their status. However, he warned that enforcement against those yet to comply would begin soon.
The Commissioner added that the exercise would be extended to new areas, including Ikorodu and Ikeja, with requirements to be issued for communities converted into estates without approval.
He highlighted the importance of Lagos’ Operative Development Plans, which align with major projects such as the Blue and Red Rail Lines, new flyovers, and highways. Model city plans have already been completed for Alimosho, Kosofe, Lagos Island, and Badagry.
Olumide also pointed to reforms in the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Agency, which now delivers planning approvals within 10 days of payment. He said the process had been simplified through district offices, digital tools, and staff training, with full automation on the way.
On land use, the Commissioner disclosed that more than 3,000 hectares of underutilised land had been identified across the state. These spaces, often informal and poorly managed, will be reclaimed and redesigned for structured purposes such as parking zones to ease traffic congestion.
He concluded that the reforms were part of Lagos’ wider strategy to transform informal settlements into planned, productive spaces that can support sustainable urban growth.
