Lagos enforces digital building permits, says manual illegal

The Lagos State has said that the enforcement of digital building permits has begun, with the manual process declared illegal.

This, it said, is in line with the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s vision to build a more efficient, transparent and technology-driven governance system.

It thus urged residents to ensure proper documentation of their properties.

This was as it said the full automation of its Electronic Physical Planning Permit System (EPPPS) has begun since April 1, 2026.

Speaking during a press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on E-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, said the initiative by the government is aimed at reducing the incidents of collapsed buildings and to position Lagos as a leader in digital governance and ease of doing business.

Babatunde added that Lagos State is “unlocking efficiency, reducing risks, and removing bureaucratic bottlenecks” for the benefit of citizens and investors alike, noting that the reform will reduce bureaucratic processes, leveraging technology.

He therefore urged those who have not taken advantage of the Electronic Physical Planning Permit System (EPPPS) before April 1 to turn in their documents to avoid the full wrath of the law.

He said the commencement of the full implementation of its Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS) has formally ended the manual processing of building approvals across the State, noting that the initiative signals “the dawn of a new era in digital processing of planning permissions” in Lagos.

Dr. Babatunde explained that the EPPPS is a web-based platform designed to modernise operations, improve transparency and eliminate bottlenecks in the approval process. 

He said the system has achieved full operational readiness with 100 percent training of personnel, complete deployment of computer systems and internet connectivity across all district offices.

He said: “The full automation of our planning permit process commenced on April 1, 2026. 

“Let me be unequivocally clear: the manual processing of physical planning permits has been completely discontinued and outlawed in Lagos State.

“All applications must now go through the EPPPS platform exclusively. 

“Anyone processing planning permits manually from this date is engaging in an illegal activity.

“We have provided the tools to do things the right way. 

“Any attempt to revert to manual, backdoor processes is now strictly illegal, and the government will deal with this without hesitation.”

Dr. Babatunde said other landmark updates include the Certified Accreditor Programme (CAP), a public-private partnership aimed at strengthening building control and reducing incidents of structural failure; Lagos State Geographic Information System Centre; and introduction of the Omentum software for complete digitisation of land systems and titles to guarantee the integrity of the land registry and boost investors’ confidence.

The Special Adviser also revealed that the Lagos State Government is decentralising land administration services, with the Ikeja e-GIS regional office already operational and additional centres planned for Lekki, Epe, Badagry, and Ikorodu.

He further highlighted the deployment of Aumentum Software for land administration, describing it as a secure digital solution for processing Certificates of Occupancy and managing land records.

He added: “We are aggressively moving away from the era of dusty files, long queues, and missing documents. 

“This software guarantees the integrity of our land registry and significantly boosts investor confidence.”

Dr. Babatunde explained that the integration of the Moola Tracker has simplified mortgage consent processing, reducing the procedure from 29 steps to just eight without introducing new fees.

He said: “We are not adding any extra charges. 

“We are simply bringing technology to solve the problem of delay and to encourage more people to safely leverage their properties.”

The Special Adviser also emphasised that it is now compulsory for every standing building in Lagos State to have an insurance policy as well as a five-year certification of fitness, as Safety Marshals will be directed to commence building inspection soon, while no contractor must be on site without a letter of authorisation.