The Lagos state government Wednesday raised the alarm over the low rate recorded in the number of applications for building permit approvals in the state, just as it threatened to demolish buildings without approval.

The state  government noted  that there is an annual 20,000 deficit in the approval rate in the state.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Oluyinka, said this at a press briefing held at  Alausa, Ikeja, ahead of the stakeholders meeting on building planning approval.

Oluyinka noted that the state government is determined to address the challenges in getting building plans approved through a week-long stakeholders’ engagement which would be rounded off on Friday 26 September, 2025.

He warned that any structure without approval from the state government  risks  being demolished, adding that the engagement is to enlighten the public, especially those at the rural areas on the need to obtain a planning permit for proper documentation.

He added that the state government recorded 12,000 approvals in 2024, noting that with the growing population and the number of buildings in the state, the appropriate figure should be in the range of 40,000 to 45,000 approval within a year.