The Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate suspension of all land reclamation projects across the state, citing severe environmental and social risks associated with unregulated activities in wetlands, floodplains, and lagoon areas.
The directive, issued on Friday in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, was titled “Immediate Suspension of All Reclamation Projects Across the State With or Without EIA Approval and Drainage Clearance.”
The state government said the measure became necessary following the proliferation of unauthorized reclamation works in areas such as Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne, Ikoyi, Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, Ikorodu, Ojo, Badagry, and parts of the Lagos Mainland.
According to Wahab, many of these projects are being carried out without the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals or drainage clearance, heightening Lagos’ vulnerability to flooding and coastal erosion.
“While reclamation may provide space for housing and infrastructure, it also poses significant environmental and social risks, including increased vulnerability to flooding, disruption of livelihoods (especially fishing), loss of wetlands and biodiversity, constriction of lagoon capacity, and impairment of water quality,” Wahab warned.
He added that Lagos’ fragile ecosystem and low-lying topography made it imperative for the government to act swiftly to avert further disasters.
Under the new directive, all reclamation works — whether approved or not — are to be suspended immediately. Developers with valid approvals must submit their projects for documentation and monitoring, while ongoing and planned works will now be subjected to fresh EIA reviews and clearance from the ministry.
The commissioner also issued a seven-day ultimatum to violators, warning of strict enforcement actions against defaulters.
“Failure to comply with this directive within the next seven days shall leave the ministry with no other option than to deploy appropriate machinery to decommission the reclaimed sites, including excavation and removal of fill, reconnection of blocked water channels, and the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved,” Wahab stated.
The suspension comes amid mounting concerns from environmental experts, who have long warned that Lagos — one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities — faces heightened risks from climate change, recurrent flooding, and uncontrolled urban expansion.
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