The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Ikoyi–Obalende Cell, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently facilitate the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the abandoned Old Federal Government Secretariat and adjoining Ikoyi Towers in Lagos, warning that the structures have become environmental and safety concerns.
In an open letter signed by its coordinator, Bola Arilesere, an architect, and Secretary Adebola Adeyera, and obtained by The Guardian, the guild warned about the consequences of continued deterioration while appealing for immediate intervention.
The Old Federal Secretariat at Ikoyi, a 12-storey building constructed in 1976 and largely abandoned in 1991 following the relocation of the Federal Capital to Abuja, was once a hub of government activities. In 1993, the complex was redesigned to accommodate about 480 families as a residential development, but the proposal was never implemented.Public records indicate that the three 12-storey Ikoyi Towers, built in 1978 on an adjoining but separate site, have remained abandoned since 2005.
The two properties sit on distinct parcels of land. The Old Federal Secretariat occupies approximately 120,000 square metres, while the three Ikoyi Towers stand on a separate parcel measuring about 12,140.569 square metres (roughly three acres) of prime land in Ikoyi.
According to the guild, successive administrations have made attempts to address the status of the properties, but the landmark assets have remained underutilised, disappointing many Lagos residents who consider them legacy public infrastructure.
BCPG stated that, based on comparative market valuations as at 2025, the assets are conservatively estimated at about N12.608 trillion (approximately $9.3 billion). It added that continued non-utilisation represents a substantial opportunity cost to the Federal Government, with estimated foregone revenue of about N93.5 billion, net of operating expenses, based on conservative rental yield assumptions for comparable developments in Ikoyi.
The group noted that the loss is particularly significant given Nigeria’s persistent housing supply gap.
“Beyond financial considerations, prolonged abandonment has contributed to progressive structural deterioration, escalating rehabilitation costs, and avoidable safety risks to security personnel, informal users, neighbouring residents, and workers within the surrounding urban corridor.
“In addition, steel scrap thieves and vandals have increasingly targeted abandoned structures nationwide, stripping valuable components and accelerating the decay of these national assets. Given the strategic importance of this location, timely intervention has become increasingly critical,” BCPG said.
The advocacy group added: “On May 25, 2024, marking the first anniversary of your tenure as President of Nigeria, we issued a press release highlighting the deteriorating state of the Federal Government Secretariat and adjoining buildings in Ikoyi. We are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of the Federal Secretariat buildings and the neighbouring Ikoyi Towers, which for decades have remained unused despite their strategic location and immense national value. In acknowledging positive developments, BCPG members in Lekki have expressed excitement about the transformative impact of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road Corridor on housing and urban renewal across the Peninsula.”
The guild argued that, in the same spirit, the remodelling of the Ikoyi Federal Secretariat and Ikoyi Towers is expected to stimulate comparable regeneration in Ikoyi, widely regarded as the President’s primary constituency and residential base. Once rehabilitated, the association said, the assets could serve as visible symbols of progress, community revitalisation, and responsible stewardship of public property.
“Our sole demand is the restoration of active use to these national monuments, which we are confident will generate significant economic and social benefits for Nigeria. In light of the foregoing, we urge Mr President to use his influence to convert decades of underutilisation into opportunity through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Ikoyi Old Federal Government Secretariat and Ikoyi Towers.
“Such action will enhance public safety, restore public confidence in federal infrastructure management, and set a strong precedent for sustainable and strategic asset utilisation nationwide. We thank you and wish you every success in your tenure of office,” the association added.
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