By John Umeh
The Federal Government has suspended all previously approved, pending, and planned applications for land allocations and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) on islands, lagoons, and coastal corridors nationwide. The directive, which came into effect on July 30, 2025, was issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and announced on Sunday by the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abduganiyu Adegbomehin.
According to Adegbomehin, the move is designed to prevent distortions to the Federal Infrastructural Master Plan and ensure compliance with the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Policy (NGDI). He stressed that all land allocation requests must now be resubmitted to the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) for proper coordination.
“All approved, pending, and intended requests for issuance of Allocations and Certificates of Occupancy on Island and Lagoon Developments are hereby suspended and must be submitted for proper survey coordination to the Presidency, through the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation,” the statement read.
Approvals Outside Presidency to be Revoked
The Federal Government warned that any land approvals granted outside the Presidency or OSGOF, including backdated or irregular titles, will be revoked. Developments carried out without proper survey coordination or those encroaching on rights-of-way will also face demolition.
The order also affects the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which has now been instructed to submit all shoreline and lagoon approvals to OSGOF and stop issuing new permits.
Legal Backing
The directive is backed by the Survey Coordination Act, Cap S13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which mandates OSGOF as the sole body authorized to regulate, standardize, and harmonize survey activities across the country.
Areas Affected
The suspension impacts major coastal and lagoon-front areas, particularly where unregulated reclamation and construction have been rife. Key areas include:
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Lagos State:
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Banana Island
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Victoria Island
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Lekki Peninsula and Lekki Lagoon corridor
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Ikoyi shoreline
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Eko Atlantic City (projects under scrutiny)
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Ibeju-Lekki coastal corridor
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Other States with Coastal and Lagoon Developments:
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Ogun State (Makun-Omi Lagoon corridor, parts of Ijebu Waterside)
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Delta State (Warri River and Escravos area)
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Rivers State (Port Harcourt waterfronts and Bonny Island)
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Bayelsa State (Yenagoa lagoon areas, Brass Island)
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Cross River State (Calabar waterways)
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Akwa Ibom State (Oron and Ibeno coastal areas)
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Ondo State (Ilaje coastal belt)
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Previous Warnings
This latest directive builds on earlier measures. In December 2024, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, decried uncontrolled developments along the Lagos shoreline and gave developers a one-month ultimatum to regularize projects or face demolition. That warning paved the way for President Tinubu’s July 2025 order, which now freezes all reclamation and allocation activities nationwide.
Implications
The suspension is expected to affect real estate investors, private developers, and state agencies that had previously issued approvals. It is also seen as a major step to curb environmental risks such as flooding, erosion, and unplanned urban growth along Nigeria’s fragile coastal zones.
