The Ogun State Government, through the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPl. Olatunji Odunlami, has announced a three-month amnesty program for property owners who have developed structures without the required planning permits. Concurrently, the government issued a strict directive for the immediate clearance of all encroachments on road and highway setbacks across the state.
Opportunity to Regularize Developments: 50% Penalty Reduction
The amnesty program, approved by Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, MFR, commenced on November 1, 2025, and will run until January 31, 2026.
* Target: The program is designed for owners of residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use developments built without the necessary planning permits.
* Incentive: Participants will benefit from a 50% reduction in the applicable penal fees required for regularization.
* Goal: This concession is aimed at easing the financial burden on citizens, promoting greater compliance with physical planning laws, strengthening the state’s planning database for better infrastructure, and formalizing properties for transactions and investments.
The Commissioner urged all property owners, including individuals, corporate bodies, and real estate developers, to take full advantage of this opportunity. Seamless processing has been guaranteed at the Ministry’s headquarters in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, and its 32 zonal planning offices across the state.
Strict Directive on Clearing Road and Highway Setbacks
The Ministry also expressed serious concern over the continuous encroachment and misuse of road and highway setbacks, citing environmental degradation, safety hazards, and obstruction of visibility and drainage channels.
* Illegal Activities Identified: Shanties, makeshift structures, signages, containers, shops, markets, car/heavy equipment dealerships, and truck parks operating within the setback spaces.
* Hazardous Impacts: These activities are said to constitute serious safety hazards, obstruct visibility and drainage, distort urban orderliness, and contribute to flooding and waste accumulation.
Major Highways Affected
Property owners whose plots face the following expressways and major highways are mandated to immediately clear all unauthorized developments:
* Lagos – Ibadan Expressway (Berger Bridge to Onigari).
* Abeokuta – Sagamu Interchange Highway (Muhammadu Buhari Expressway).
* Sagamu Interchange – Ajebandele (Sagamu-Benin Expressway).
* Lagos – Abeokuta Highway (Ota tollgate to Bakatari).
* Papalanto – Sagamu Interchange.
* Ijebu-Ode – Mojoda (Epe) Highway.
* Ogijo – Sagamu Highway.
* Other major roads and streets within cities and towns.
New Beautification Initiative
In a unique gesture, the government is authorizing property owners facing these corridors to temporarily take possession of the setback spaces for beautification and landscaping purposes, provided they apply for a planning permit at no cost. This is intended to encourage a cleaner, greener environment, improve air quality, and maintain the integrity of public spaces through community partnership.
The Commissioner issued a stern warning: enforcement will begin in earnest and without further notice for failure to comply voluntarily. Sanctions may include withdrawal of planning permits granted to the affected properties and payment of abatement charges.
The Commissioner concluded by emphasizing that shaping the state’s image and functionality is a collective responsibility, urging all property owners to act now to avoid sanctions and support the vision of a well-planned, orderly, and beautiful Ogun State.
