Lagos Seals Over 2,800 Unsafe Buildings, Construction Sites

Lagos Seals Over 2,800 Unsafe Buildings, Construction Sites

The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on unsafe buildings, non-compliant businesses and hazardous construction activities across the state, sealing hundreds of facilities and enforcing safety regulations on more than 2,800 sites between 2025 and 2026.

The enforcement drive, carried out through the Lagos State Safety Commission, forms part of the administration’s renewed efforts to prevent accidents, reduce structural failures and strengthen workplace safety standards across critical sectors of the state economy.

Speaking during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Olugbenga Oyerinde, disclosed that the state government had significantly expanded safety monitoring and enforcement operations under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

According to the commissioner, the commission achieved safety compliance certification for more than 3,500 construction sites statewide during the review period, while over 2,800 construction sites, businesses and facilities found violating safety regulations faced enforcement actions.

Oyerinde explained that the aggressive enforcement campaign was aimed at protecting lives and property amid growing concerns over building collapse in Lagos, unsafe work environments and repeated incidents involving structural failures and workplace accidents.

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As part of the enforcement exercise, the commissioner disclosed that more than 100 restaurants and supermarkets were sealed after failing safety audits and inspections conducted by officials of the commission. He added that the commission also carried out comprehensive inspections across major sectors of the economy, including haulage, oil and gas, transportation, hospitality and manufacturing industries.

Between May 2025 and May 2026, the commission reportedly audited 500 haulage and logistics facilities, 70 oil and gas facilities, 67 transportation companies, 130 high-rise buildings, 206 manufacturing facilities and over 100 microfinance banks. The commissioner further revealed that more than 50 filling stations across the state received suitability permits after meeting required safety standards.

Oyerinde stated that the Lekki, Oniru and Victoria Island corridor witnessed some of the most intense enforcement activities due to rapid urban development and increasing high-rise construction projects within the axis. According to him, the commission issued 89 contravention notices and 37 stop-work orders to project owners over serious safety infractions capable of causing accidents, injuries and structural collapse.

He added that 20 facilities were eventually sealed in the corridor, while nine court summons and five hearing notices were issued against defaulting organisations that allegedly failed to comply with safety directives. The commissioner also disclosed that in the Ikorodu axis alone, 117 construction sites were inspected while 82 enforcement operations were carried out against non-compliant construction firms and industrial facilities.

Beyond construction and industrial monitoring, the commissioner said the Safety Commission intensified public sensitisation and advocacy programmes in schools, markets, workplaces, hospitality centres and event locations across the state. According to him, stakeholders received training on industrial safety, occupational health, fire prevention, emergency response procedures, machine safety and accident prevention.

Oyerinde noted that safety marshals were deployed to more than 1,450 public and private events statewide, including religious gatherings, weddings, marathons and sporting competitions to ensure crowd control and emergency preparedness.

The commissioner further disclosed that the commission investigated seven major incidents involving drowning, electrocution, injuries and fatal structural collapses within the hospitality sector during the review period. He added that 641 risk assessments and safety audits were conducted across hotels, lounges, swimming pools, event centres and nightclubs in different parts of Lagos.

According to him, the government also introduced safety awareness programmes for students by inaugurating school safety ambassadors drawn from 15 public and private secondary schools.

The renewed safety enforcement campaign comes amid persistent concerns over recurring cases of building collapse in Lagos, which have led to deaths, injuries and destruction of property in recent years. The state government has repeatedly maintained that it would continue to enforce strict compliance with safety regulations, especially within the construction and hospitality sectors.

Authorities recently reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy against unsafe construction practices, unapproved developments and facilities operating without proper safety certification.

The government also disclosed that improved emergency response operations helped save properties worth over N118 billion from fire incidents in 2025, although losses estimated at N19.72 billion were recorded from various fire outbreaks across the state.

Oyerinde reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting residents, preventing avoidable disasters and ensuring that businesses and property owners comply fully with established safety regulations.

Lagos Seals Over 2,800 Unsafe Buildings, Construction Sites