Lagos State Government has outlawed manual processing of building approvals, mandating a full transition to its Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS).
This, according to it, was a decisive move that could reshape the state’s entrenched informal construction ecosystem.
The directive, which took effect from April 1, 2026, signals more than a technological upgrade that represents a direct clampdown on the paper-driven processes that have long enabled delays, discretionary approvals and, in some cases, regulatory loopholes within the state’s fast-growing property sector.
Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, while speaking during a media briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, declared all manual planning permit processes illegal, stressing that applications must now be routed exclusively through the digital platform.
He urged those who have not taken advantage of the EPPPS before April 1, 2026, to submit their documents to avoid the full wrath of the law, saying that the commencement of full implementation of the EPPPS has formally ended manual processing of building approvals across the state.
Babatunde stated that the EPPPS is a web-based system designed to centralise and standardise approvals, cutting out human bottlenecks and improving traceability across the approval chain.
Meanwhile, the state government said that all relevant personnel across district offices of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Lagos State Building Control Agency had been trained, with infrastructure fully deployed to support the transition.
It said that to enforce compliance, a task force had been set up to monitor adherence, underscoring the state’s intent to close enforcement gaps that have historically weakened planning regulations.
However, the state government, in complementing the digital shift, has introduced a certified accredited programme, a public-private framework that brings certified professionals into the regulatory net to monitor projects and ensure compliance.
According to it, this will strengthen oversight and curb the persistent challenge of building collapses.
Also, it said that it would decentralise access to land administration services through e-GIS regional offices.
Babatunde said the reforms were aimed at eliminating inefficiencies rather than raising costs, and at positioning the state as a more predictable environment for real estate investment.
In this article