The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, (REDAN) has moved to bridge the gap between its members and relevant authorities in a bid to facilitate the processing and approval of building and planning permits for developers in Nigeria.
This development is coming at a time when members continue to struggle to get necessary permits as many have had their projects demolished after completion because they do not have the requisite approvals and permits.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos organised by REDAN which played host to the Lagos State Government Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development, Bamidele Onalaja, chairman, REDAN Lagos said nine speakers, comprising of directors and GMs from Physical planning, permit, Lagos State Building Control Agency, (LASBCA) and Material Testing amongst others spoke at the forum to help members understand what they need to do to get their permits out in time.
“Everybody is here to explain to us how we can have a better-built environment in Lagos. As developers, we work so hard and borrow money from the bank to develop. It is so sad that after you have built, they demolish it because they say you don’t have a permit to build,” he said.
The forum themed, ‘Developers Roundtable’ he said highlighted the challenges of developers and the way forward.
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“One of the major challenges developers face is that it takes time to get permits. You want to start a project, you have borrowed money and there is time value on the money and if you don’t do it fast, you may lose your customers.
“It takes two years to get the permit. In two years, no customer would be ready to buy the property. The property would have gone up and you would have lost money. So, what most developers do is that before they get the permit, they move to start work on the site, but sometimes, the ministry will come and demolish their properties because they do not have permits,” Onalaja said.
Also speaking at the forum, Toby Ifada, general secretary, REDAN called on Idris Okanla Salako, commissioner for physical planning and urban development to fulfil his promise on ensuring developers get their permits 90 days from when they apply, adding that if this is done, most of the challenges faced by developers would be addressed.
Ifada assured that members of REDAN are willing to comply and work with the ministry while pleading that the ministry on the other hand to make planning permit and building approval shorter.
In his keynote address, Idris Okanla Salako, commissioner for physical planning and urban development said the ministry has embarked on major initiatives in a bid to support developers.
Salako said the ministry has provided development guide plans to facilitate the processing of planning permit in action plan areas and excised villages and has helped in filing of laminated copy of approved layout plan for ease of referencing and records keeping to circumvent the issue of loss of Approved Layout Plan Copies or omission of important details due to mutilated copies.
He assured that the ministry will henceforth process layout plan approval within three months due to the reviewed process.
