Pay Up or Demolish: FG’s warning to Lagos property owners

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has called on land and property owners in federally owned areas of Lagos State to pay their ground rent.

Dangiwa emphasized that no estate management or committee is authorized to collect ground rent from residents, landowners, or homeowners in areas belonging to the Federal Government.

He made this statement on Friday during a stakeholder-citizens engagement on land administration and an inspection of Banana Island, Osborne Phase One and Two, Park View/Foreshore estates, and shoreline developments.

According to The Nation, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to renovating, protecting, and maximizing the value of its assets across the country, ensuring strict adherence to its land and estate administration laws.

“The Ministry is committed to enforcing compliance with the law governing the management and administration of federal assets to maintain order,” Dangiwa stated.

Clarifying the fees that may be collected in federal estates, Dangiwa explained that estate management is permitted to charge facility management fees for maintenance purposes. However, they are not authorized to collect ground rent.

“Facility management fees are standard in estates for their upkeep, but collecting ground rent is beyond their authority. Ground rent belongs to the Federal Government. If estate management companies collect it on our behalf, they must remit it in full. Otherwise, we will deploy our staff or engage consultants to collect it directly,” he warned.

Dangiwa also assured that his ministry would work to revamp and optimize all federally owned properties.

“We are determined to maximize these facilities to ensure they serve the government and Nigerians effectively. Our goal is to accelerate the completion of housing projects to increase the availability of affordable homes in Lagos,” he said.

Regarding irregular developments along the Lagos shoreline, Dangiwa revealed that developers had been issued a one-month ultimatum to address the situation.

“To curb these practices, the ministry issued a one-month ultimatum for all developers on shorelines to regularise their papers or risk having their properties revoked and demolished.

“We have observed numerous haphazard developments along the shoreline, where people have reclaimed and built on land without proper clearance or authorization. This is unacceptable,” Dangiwa added.