Abeokuta – The Ogun State Government has announced a three-month amnesty on planning permit penal fees for property owners with unauthorized developments along major highways and roads.
The initiative aims to promote orderly physical development while addressing longstanding encroachments on road setbacks.
The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL Olatunji Odunlami, disclosed this at a weekend press briefing in Abeokuta.
He explained that unapproved structures such as shanties, shops, truck parks, car and heavy equipment dealerships, and signage on highways pose serious safety risks, obstruct drainage, degrade the environment, and contribute to flooding.
Odunlami said, “Encroachment into these public spaces is not only illegal but also undermines the beauty and functionality of our transportation corridors. The government will no longer tolerate the use of setbacks except for infrastructure, traffic control, and maintenance activities.”
He urged property owners whose plots face expressways and major roads to take advantage of the amnesty and regularize their developments.
“The amnesty provides a 50% reduction on penal fees for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use developments built without prior planning approval. This window will run until January 31, 2026,” he added.
The commissioner also encouraged owners to use the setback spaces for landscaping and beautification to enhance their properties and the visual appeal of highways and roads.
Major roads covered by the directive include the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abeokuta–Sagamu Interchange Highway, Sagamu–Benin Expressway, Lagos–Abeokuta Highway, Papalanto–Sagamu Interchange, Ijebu-Ode–Mojoda Highway, and Ogijo–Sagamu Highway.
