Lagos State Government suspends approvals on land extensions at Banana Island

The Lagos State Government has issued a suspension order on all approvals in respect of land extensions into the Lagoon at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.

This is sequel to a statement jointly signed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako and his counterpart in the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development,  Arc. Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi.

The statement noted that there has been increasing and continuing degradation of the Lagos shoreline as a result of indiscriminate illegal dredging, reclamation and land extensions into the Lagos Lagoon.

It said, “Of particular concern to the State Government are the extensions being illegally carried out at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi”.

It pointed out that such land reclamation and extension activities had resulted in gross violation of the Physical Planning Laws of the State and impinged on the ecosystem of the entire area.

The Commissioners maintained that the illegal proliferation of dredging and reclamation practices had occasioned serious distortion in the aesthetics of the shoreline with high potential for causing environmental degradation capable of producing dire consequences if unchecked.

“Government hereby  suspends all existing, pending and subsequent approvals in respect of all Land Extensions into the Lagoon at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi”, the statement said.

The Lagos State Government also ordered the immediate cessation of all ongoing works, construction, reclamation and other similar activities in respect of extension approvals granted or being processed at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.

"Members of the public have been advised to comply forthwith with the Stop Work/Suspension Orders or risk facing criminal charges and the confiscation of their dredging equipment by the government", the statement culled from the official twitter handle of Lagos State Government by Fresh Angle International, warned.

×