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We’re bringing order to Lagos Informal Urban Spaces — LASISMA GM, Oludaisi Oso
We’re bringing order to Lagos Informal Urban Spaces — LASISMA GM, Oludaisi Oso
Mr. Oludaisi Oso is the General Manager of the Lagos State Informal Space Management Authority (LASISMA). In this interview with DADA JACKSON, he speaks on the Authority’s mandate, funding, challenges, and efforts to restore sanity to informal urban spaces across the state.
Can you tell us more about LASISMA, as many Lagosians seem unaware of its activities?
Thank you for this important question. LASISMA was conceptualised in 2001 by our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when he was Governor of Lagos State. He came up with the idea of creating an agency to manage informal urban spaces in an orderly and sustainable manner.
However, the Authority was relatively inactive for years until Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revived it. When I was appointed as the General Manager by His Excellency, Governor Sanwo-Olu, LASISMA was operating at about five per cent of its potential.
Our mandate is derived from the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2015 (as amended) — particularly Sections 2(e) and 2(n). The law empowers us to regulate the location, position, dimension, appearance, and manner of display of urban furniture within the state.
We also provide technical assistance to all government MDAs on matters relating to the planning, designation, and use of informal urban spaces. Part of our role is to designate such spaces as centres for socio-economic activities that align with the state’s approved land-use plans.
Other responsibilities include creating and managing a database of informal urban spaces and open areas, formulating policies for their use, and standardising the deployment and supervision of urban furniture.
Governor Sanwo-Olu is very passionate about restoring order to informal urban spaces across the state. The rejuvenated LASISMA signifies that a new sheriff is in town — it’s no longer business as usual. We are determined to reclaim and regulate our informal urban spaces. About 80 per cent of these spaces have been taken over by illegal users, and that must stop.
How is the Authority funded?
Our primary source of funding is through budgetary allocations from the state government. However, like Oliver Twist, we always ask for more because our mandate requires substantial resources to execute effectively.
We also generate some internal revenue. For example, our current office space was acquired under a revenue-sharing arrangement with the property owners. Because of its strategic location and their experience in revenue collection, the owners assist in driving revenue. Under our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), they remit a percentage to the state government, while part of it offsets our rent.
What are the major challenges facing LASISMA?
One of our biggest challenges is the widespread abuse of urban setbacks — what we refer to as informal urban spaces. People convert these spaces into trading points, workshops, or even residential extensions, often without consideration for safety or planning laws.
You may recall the unfortunate incident at Ladipo, where a woman was frying yam and bean cake close to a man selling gas. A spark led to an explosion that caused loss of lives and property. Another similar incident occurred at Abule Ado near Festac Town. These are direct consequences of unregulated use of informal urban spaces.
Such occurrences prompted Mr. Governor’s renewed commitment to curb the abuse of these spaces. The examples are too many to mention, but they all point to one thing — the urgent need for regulation and compliance.
What is the way forward?
The message is simple: no one should conduct business on any urban setback or informal space without clearance from LASISMA. Business operators should apply for a licence; it takes no more than 10 working days to obtain one.
Getting licensed not only keeps you within the law but also ensures you are properly guided on suitable areas for your business activities. Governor Sanwo-Olu is determined to ensure that informal urban spaces in Lagos are properly regulated.
Henceforth, no individual or group is permitted to occupy or use any informal urban space in Lagos State without a valid licence from LASISMA.
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Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.
Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.
“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.
A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.
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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.
While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.
“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.
He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
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FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.
The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.
Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.
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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.
He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.
According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.
Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
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Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.
Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.
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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.
The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
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