On September 28, 2025, the Lagos State Government intensified its crackdown on illegal reclamation and dredging along the Lagos Lagoon with a joint enforcement exercise in the Lekki area
Lagos Government Cracks Down on Illegal Lagoon Reclamation, Dredging in Lekki
The Lagos State Government on Saturday, September 28, 2025, intensified its crackdown on illegal reclamation and dredging activities along the shores of the Lagos Lagoon with a joint enforcement exercise across the Lekki axis.
The operation, which followed resolutions reached at the Lagos Waterfront Summit held on September 11 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, was aimed at curbing the degradation of the lagoon and safeguarding it for future generations.
The summit, themed “Pressure on the Lagoon – The Lagos Experience,” had brought together stakeholders who resolved to take urgent steps to halt the widespread abuse of the state’s coastlines and waterways.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush Alebiosu, spearheaded the enforcement team to seal off a property at 13A, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, which was found to have illegally reclaimed over 7,000 square metres of land into the lagoon despite repeated stop-work orders.
The cabinet member famously known as D’Bush described the act as one of “legendary audacity” and disclosed that the owners had defied previous enforcement measures by relevant state ministries while continuing construction and hosting social events on the premises.
He warned that the state would prosecute the offenders, adding that the property and the illegally reclaimed land could be forfeited to government.
Commissioner for Physical Planning, Olumide Oluyinka, explained that the property owner had initially presented a layout covering 1,200 square metres but had now illegally extended the landmass to 8,000 square metres.
He said the site had been sealed again, and all approvals linked to the land would be revoked.
The ministry of physical planning helmsman noted that construction was still incomplete, yet the facility was being used for social gatherings, a development he said endangered lives.
The team also moved to Lekki Foreshore Estate, where illegal dredging and reclamation were discovered. While some of the operators fled on sighting the officials, five suspects were apprehended.
Alebiosu expressed concern that some dredging operations extended as far as seven kilometres into the lagoon without approvals or environmental impact assessments, warning that such activities endangered the ecosystem.
D’Bush added that several shanties springing up along the lagoon, often used as cover for criminal activities, would also be dismantled.
Permanent Secretaries from the Office of Drainage Services and the Ministry of the Environment, who joined the enforcement, said illegal operators had blocked water channels flowing into the lagoon, which threatened the state’s environmental balance.
Mobolaji Gaji, Permanent Secretary of Environmental Services, said illegal reclamation had already obstructed a primary water channel in the area, stressing that “too much reclamation is going on, and we are here to enforce the law.”
The enforcement team also inspected the Ilubirin housing project to assess ongoing activities along the waterfront.
Alebiosu restated that the crackdown was an outcome of the Waterfront Summit where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged to strengthen protection of the state’s coastal assets in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S+ development agenda.
He assured residents that the government would not relent in its efforts to defend the lagoon and its waterfronts from illegal encroachments, warning that offenders would face the full weight of the law.
Other agencies that took part in the enforcement include the Lands Bureau, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LASESC), and other supporting officials.
Alebiosu said the state’s position was firm and unambiguous: no individual or group would be allowed to abuse the lagoon or endanger the environment. “No one is above the law,” he said. “Together, we will safeguard Lagos’ waterfronts for future generations.”
