One of the most visible signs of rapid urban growth in Lagos is the increasing pressure on space. As the city expands in population, commerce, and mobility, public open areas that were originally planned for movement, safety, drainage, aesthetics, and environmental balance are gradually being taken over by unregulated activities. These areas, commonly referred to as informal spaces, now pose serious challenges to orderly urban development.
Informal spaces include road setbacks, walkways, drainage corridors, spaces under bridges, road medians, and undeveloped government land that were never intended for permanent commercial or residential use.
Over time, many of these spaces have been occupied for trading, parking, storage, and temporary structures without planning approval. While such uses may provide short-term livelihood opportunities, their uncontrolled expansion has long-term consequences for the city as a whole.
Across Lagos, the effects are evident: pedestrian walkways blocked by stalls, drainage channels obstructed by makeshift structures, traffic congestion worsened by roadside trading, and public spaces losing their aesthetic and environmental value. These developments undermine mobility, increase safety risks, worsen flooding, and weaken the effectiveness of urban infrastructure.
Physical planning exists to balance competing needs within limited space. It ensures that land is used in a way that supports safety, functionality, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. When informal use of space grows unchecked, that balance is lost. What emerges is not a city that works for everyone, but one where disorder becomes normalised and public interest is gradually eroded.
The Lagos State Government’s renewed focus on administering and regulating informal spaces must, therefore, be understood within this broader context. It is not an attempt to deny livelihoods or punish vulnerable groups, but a necessary step toward restoring order, protecting public infrastructure, and ensuring that the city remains liveable for present and future generations.
The Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2019 (as amended) provides a clear legal foundation for this responsibility. It assigns the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development the mandate to manage land use, coordinate development, and regulate spatial activities across the State. Informal spaces, being part of the urban fabric, naturally fall within this scope.
However, regulation alone is not enough. Experience has shown that enforcement without understanding breeds resistance, mistrust, and conflict. This is why advocacy and stakeholder engagement must precede and accompany any meaningful intervention. Market associations, transport unions, community leaders, local governments, and other stakeholders all have a role to play in reshaping how public spaces are used.
Sensitisation is particularly important in helping citizens understand that public open areas are shared assets, not private extensions of individual enterprise. When road setbacks are blocked, emergency response is delayed. When drainage corridors are encroached upon, flooding worsens. When walkways disappear, pedestrians are forced onto highways, increasing accidents. These outcomes affect everyone, including those who depend on informal spaces for daily survival.
There are also economic and environmental dimensions to consider. Orderly cities attract investment, tourism, and innovation. Well-managed public spaces improve city image and quality of life. Conversely, chaotic land use increases infrastructure maintenance costs and undermines long-term development planning. In a megacity like Lagos, these costs are too high to ignore.
Importantly, regulating informal spaces does not mean eliminating informal economic activity altogether. Rather, it calls for a more structured, humane, and inclusive approach that recognises livelihoods while respecting planning standards. This may include relocation, redesignation of appropriate areas, phased implementation, and continuous dialogue with affected groups.
Cities around the world that have successfully managed growth did so by asserting planning authority while maintaining social sensitivity. Lagos, with its unique density and dynamism, must chart a similar path—one that combines law, empathy, consultation, and professionalism.
The future of Lagos depends not only on grand infrastructure projects but also on how everyday spaces are managed. Informal spaces may appear small in isolation, but collectively, they shape mobility, safety, aesthetics, and environmental health. Taking control of them is therefore not just a planning decision; it is a statement about the kind of city Lagos aspires to be.
A city that works must be planned. And a planned city must protect its public spaces.
Dr. Oluyinka Olumide is the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State