The Lagos State Government has warned that owners of property on the state waterways risk forfeiting their assets to the government.
It also warned of the forfeiture of illegally reclaimed land to the government, alongside other financial penalties as part of a broader effort to protect its fragile coastal and waterfront ecosystems.
The new directive, approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was stressed by the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Alebiosu, during a guest appearance on TVC’s “Your View” in the build-up to the recent 2025 World Oceans Day.
According to the commissioner, any unauthorised reclamation, particularly activities that encroach on or narrow the state’s waterways, will now result in automatic forfeiture of half of the land to the government.
Alebiosu said his ministry was working with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, as well as the office of eGIS with the view to monitoring the waterways, ensuring safety, and also stemming all illegal activities on the waters, including unauthorised dredging.
“This is not just a policy on paper; it’s an active deterrent,” Alebiosu said.
He added, “We want to stop the tide of illegal reclamation that is threatening our marine life, obstructing navigation, and damaging the environment.
“We are working with some of the MDAs that we handshake, especially the ICT ministry and the eGIS team to patrol our waterways from the office.
“Some of these illegal activities are perpetrated when everyone has gone to sleep, not only that, we can’t be on water 24/7, but with this new technology, we can monitor what is going on from our various offices,” he said.
He described the lagoon not just as a physical landmark but as a vital part of Lagos.
“We live on the lagoon. It feeds us with seafood, fresh fish, and even the water in our boreholes.
“But there’s been a tendency to abuse it through illegal dredging, dumping, and reckless reclamation. When we disturb the lagoon, nature fights back,” the commissioner said.
Alebiosu warned that those who continued to flout regulations would face consequences.
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