Lagos targets 3,700 hectares of idle urban spaces in smart city push

The Lagos State Government has unveiled an ambitious urban management initiative aimed at transforming over 3,700 hectares of underutilised public spaces into productive assets as part of efforts to strengthen Lagos’ status as a smart and globally competitive city.

At the centre of the initiative is the Setbacks, Common Areas and Roadside Administration and Monitoring Project (SCRAMP), a policy designed to identify, document and regulate informal urban spaces across the state.

The identified spaces include bridge loops, shorelines, power line corridors, railway setbacks and broadband infrastructure rights of way, many of which have historically been subjected to illegal occupation and environmental abuse.

Abiodun Oluyinka Olumide, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, disclosed at the 2026 annual ministerial briefing that the project had already uncovered more than 3,700 hectares of undeveloped or improperly utilised spaces in over 1,700 locations statewide as of December 2025.

According to Olumide, the initiative would not only improve urban orderliness but also unlock economic opportunities and support infrastructure planning in Africa’s largest city economy.

“The need to optimally utilise these spaces and forestall future abuse informed the Ministry’s decision to embark on extensive consultations and advocacy,” he said.

He added that the government had, since January 2026, intensified engagements with Ministries, Departments and Agencies to secure institutional cooperation for the implementation of SCRAMP.

The Commissioner stressed that the government was not pursuing mass displacement of current occupants, except where overriding public interest requires reclamation of such spaces for their original purpose.

Urban planning experts have long argued that Lagos loses billions of naira annually to unregulated land use, encroachment and inefficient management of public corridors.

The Ministry also revealed that the Lagos State Informal Space Management Authority introduced new interventions, including solar-powered kiosks and eco-friendly air compressor systems for artisans operating within informal spaces.

Officials estimate the Green Kiosk initiative alone could generate about N1.28 billion annually while promoting cleaner energy usage and reducing deforestation.

The government said the broader objective remains the creation of a resilient, sustainable and investment-friendly urban environment capable of supporting Lagos’ rapid population and economic expansion.