The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, has said the state will continue to create favourable policy environment to boost housing in Lagos.

He said this during the 2020 World Habitat Day ceremony in Lagos with the theme ‘Housing for all: A better urban future’.

Salako said, “Adequate housing must provide more than four walls and a roof as well as protection against forced evictions.

“In furtherance, the state has continued to create favourable policy environment to uphold these dictates and the state is working assiduously to ensure housing for all Lagosians, within the ambits of globally accepted standards.”

The commissioner said the Lagos State Government had a clear understanding and remarkable acceptance of the multidimensional and complex nature of housing in its physical, social, economic, cultural, political, psychological and technical identities and is matching up to its successful delivery in cost-efficient, pragmatic and innovative manner.

For certainty, he said, the state had evolved, institutionalised and implemented specific policy reforms and initiatives that would continue to facilitate the achievement of the making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable dictates of the SDG 11.

He said the state was in good alignment with the key aspects of the UN right to adequate housing.

As part of efforts to ensure provision of adequate housing to all, he said Lagos had improved planning permit process and turn-around-time through the enhancement of the critical path of planning permit by devolving approval powers and increasing the number of supervising directors from five to 10.

He also said it was ensuring effective state-wide monitoring conformity/compliance checks prompt removal of non-conforming structures, distressed structures and buildings likely to collapse.

The commissioner said it was ensuring premium service and fast track permit services within 10 business days.

He said Lagos State had played host to ceaseless migration from other parts of the country and the entire West African sub-region, and this had been impactful to compel a clarion call for careful planning and judicious land use.

While persistent population increase and inadequate shelter had been of major concern to the state, he said the Lagos State government had made relentless efforts at not only ensuring housing for all but also making sure that physical developments were in tune with the agenda of making Lagos a 21st century economy by strengthening the enabling legal institutional frameworks.

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