Why Lagos Must Take Control of Informal Spaces — Olumide

Why Lagos Must Take Control of Informal Spaces — Olumide

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos State Government has said it will take firm control of informal spaces across the metropolis to restore order, protect public infrastructure and ensure the city remains liveable for present and future generations.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, stated this while explaining the state’s renewed focus on regulating public open areas that have increasingly come under pressure from unregulated activities driven by rapid urban growth.

According to Olumide, as Lagos expands in population, commerce and mobility, spaces originally designed for movement, safety, drainage, aesthetics and environmental balance are being gradually taken over for uses they were never intended for.

“These areas, commonly referred to as informal spaces, now pose serious challenges to orderly urban development,” he said.

He listed informal spaces to comprise road setbacks, pedestrian walkways, drainage corridors, spaces under bridges, road medians and undeveloped government land, noting that many have been occupied for trading, parking, storage and temporary structures without planning approval.

While acknowledging that such activities may provide short-term livelihood opportunities, Olumide warned that their uncontrolled expansion carries severe long-term consequences for the city.

Across Lagos, he said, the effects were evident in blocked walkways, obstructed drainage channels, worsening traffic congestion, increased flooding risks and the gradual loss of aesthetic and environmental value in public spaces.

“These developments undermine mobility, increase safety risks, worsen flooding and weaken the effectiveness of urban infrastructure,” the commissioner noted.

He explained that physical planning exists to balance competing needs within limited space, ensuring safety, functionality, environmental sustainability and economic growth.

“When informal use of space grows unchecked, that balance is lost. What emerges is not a city that works for everyone, but one where disorder becomes normalised and public interest is gradually eroded,” Olumide said.

He stressed that the government’s intervention should not be seen as an attempt to punish vulnerable groups or deny livelihoods, but as a necessary step to restore order and protect shared assets.

The commissioner cited the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2019 (as amended), as providing the legal basis for regulating informal spaces, assigning the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development the mandate to manage land use and regulate spatial activities across the state.

However, Olumide said regulation alone would not succeed without advocacy and stakeholder engagement, warning that enforcement without understanding often breeds resistance and conflict.

He said market associations, transport unions, community leaders and local governments must be involved in reshaping how public spaces are used.

“Sensitisation is particularly important in helping citizens understand that public open areas are shared assets, not private extensions of individual enterprise,” he said, adding that blocked setbacks delay emergency response, encroached drainage worsens flooding and the loss of walkways forces pedestrians onto highways, increasing accidents.

Olumide also highlighted the economic and environmental implications of unmanaged spaces, noting that orderly cities attract investment, tourism and innovation, while chaotic land use raises infrastructure maintenance costs and undermines long-term planning.

He emphasised that regulating informal spaces does not mean eliminating informal economic activities, but adopting a structured, humane and inclusive approach that balances livelihoods with planning standards through relocation, redesignation, phased implementation and continuous dialogue.

Drawing lessons from other global cities, Olumide said Lagos must combine law, empathy, consultation and professionalism in managing its growth.

“The future of Lagos depends not only on grand infrastructure projects but also on how everyday spaces are managed,” he said, adding that taking control of informal spaces is a statement about the kind of city Lagos aspires to be.

“A city that works must be planned. And a planned city must protect its public spaces.”