Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration has deployed tools, comprising ICT devices, to the Physical Planning and Automation Department and the Lagos State Planning Information Centre (LASPIC), in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for automation of all physical planning activities in the state, marking a new era of innovation and efficiency.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, made this known on Monday during the presentation of the tools which took place at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The governor said that the tools would simplify the process of building plans and enhance the ease of doing business in Lagos, noting that the tools would afford the people the opportunity of quality service as they could from the comfort of their homes, decide “to visit LASPIC online and get Certified True Copy of approvals that are missing and apply for a building permit online.”
This was just as Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that so many buildings in the state were without approvals as, according to him, LASPIC and the Physical Planning and Automation Department have been able to document all those with approvals within the state.
“We have up to five million properties in Lagos but we have less than 500,000 properties in the land registry. So, we have less than 10 percent in the land registry. It is only when you have land documentation that you can apply for building approval. That showed that the total number of people who don’t have building approval in Lagos is about 90 percent.
“The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development has said that we are going to give amnesty. So, with amnesty, then comes documentation. So, if we say we are going to give you amnesty because you don’t have building approvals, then the best thing is to take advantage of the amnesty that has been announced,” the governor said.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, in his address, said the automation system was to make things easier, urging the personnel in charge not to compromise for the system to be a huge success.
“We want to encourage people from the comfort of their homes to interface with the ministry electronically. They don’t necessarily have to be physically here before they get things done. In the comfort of their homes, they can apply and get approval.
“The innovation will be very effective because a lot of resources are committed to the venture and most importantly, it is to eliminate compromise because now people will be interfacing with machines for necessary information, which will enable and simplify the process of building plan,” the commissioner stated.
Director of the Physical Planning and Automation Department, TPL Musa Okuniyi, also in his own remark, said Lagos residents should look forward to a future where technology and planning go hand-in-hand for the betterment of the state.
“As we embark on the transition towards becoming a Smart City, we understand that change is inevitable. I encourage everyone to welcome this change and imbibe the innovations that promise to make Physical Planning activities seamless and efficient,” Okuniyi said.
“These advancements are not just about technology; they are about improving the lives of the people of Lagos State. They are about making our cities more livable, more sustainable, and more resilient. They are about making Lagos a model for other cities to emulate,” he added.