The General Manager of the Lagos State Planning, Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA), Daisi Oso has stated that professional planning of land, both formal and informal, should precede utilisation and physical developments and otherwise, planning infractions will automatically lead to chaotic misuse and environmental challenges.
According to him, this is the essence of proper planning in a megacity like Lagos State.
He stated this at the Lagos State Physical Planning Summit, themed, ‘Rethinking Lagos: A New Vision For A Regional And Integrated Megacity’ held in Victoria Island.
The summit was the much-required opportunity for Oso to intimate professionals, stakeholders and participants about the crucial role the Agency plays in the evolving vision for an integrated Lagos.
Oso said, “In achieving the new vision for an integrated megacity, we play an essential part in designating, coordinating and regulating the informal urban and open spaces for efficient usage, our initiatives are geared towards effective usage of the informal spaces through the installation of bollards to demarcate the walkways and commercial areas, promoting safe spaces to ensure inclusivity, resilience, reduction in traffic congestion, efficient and improved security”.
“We are presently undergoing reforms to become the Lagos State Informal Space Management Authority (LASISMA), having derived our mandate from the Lagos State Regional and Development Law of 2015 as amended to rewrite the urban face of Lagos, restore orderliness, improve the overall aesthetics of the State”.
It is noteworthy that over the past two decades, successive administrations in Lagos State have addressed Physical Planning challenges with series of strategic policy interventions and the preparations of master plans and model city plans in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals but in implementing the ‘Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy’ pillar of the Themes Plus Agenda, the orderly planning and proper use of informal urban spaces is pivotal to an aesthetically-pleasing and Livable Lagos.
