In order to enhance the functionality of the local government, stakeholders in the building sector has asked the state government to empower the local government authorities with grant planning permit.

This was made available in an interview to the press.

Femi Oyedele, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, said the decentralisation of physical planning permit issuance would expedite the process of planning permit approval.

He said, “There are applicants on the waiting list for building approval that have not gotten approval. Building approval is done at the state level at the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.

“In developed countries, the approval is done at the local government level. But in Nigeria, we do it at the state level, meaning there is just one office granting the permit. So, there will be many in the queue already. For new applicants to get their permit, they will have to wait for a minimum of six months. Anything short of 180 days will create an avenue for racketeering.”

Oyedele stated that, racketeering may ensue as some physical planning permit authority staffers exploit the urgency of applicants who are desperate to obtain their permits within the 90-day timeframe.

“These staff members may take advantage of the situation to demand bribes or offer their assistance for a price, capitalising on the applicants’ willingness to pay for expedited service. So, every applicant does not have to go to the LASPPPA office at Old Secretarial, Ikeja GRA,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Gideon Mfonabasi, the Chief Executive Officer of Jofame Integrated Limited, explained the need to have district offices that are empowered to carry out approval.

He stated, “We have district offices all over the various LGAs but they are not empowered to carry out their functions. We need to have district offices that are well empowered to carry out approval at bungalows and 1-storey buildings and the maximum 2-storey buildings without recourse to the head office.

“Some of these are the issues that lead to delays in approval and have been brought to the notice of the government but due to the focus on revenue mobilisation through building approval, there is great unwillingness from the government to address this in Lagos State.”

Also speaking, Sola Enitan, the Chief Executive Officer of Cromwell Professional Services International Limited, stressed that the centralised approach to permitting control was often driven by the need for uniformity, efficiency, and oversight in urban development.

He noted, “A centralised permitting control may lead to bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies, rent-seeking, and a lack of responsiveness to local needs and contexts. Development proposals may face delays in approval processes, especially if decision-making is concentrated in a single agency that oversees a large and complex jurisdiction like Lagos State.

“Hence, empowering local governments with the authority to grant physical planning approvals would lead to more responsive and context-specific decision-making. Local governments, being closer to communities and understanding local needs better, maybe in a better position to assess and manage development proposals effectively.”