Feb. 21, 2024

…Restates commitment to urban development, regeneration

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Abiodun Babatunde has averred that the Computer Village Area within the State Law is a Residential Area and is still a Residential Area that has grown into a full-blown market which is against the Modern City Plan of the State.

Babatunde disclosed this recently during an on-the-spot assessment of the Computer Village, Ikeja, noting that the present administration led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to the restoration of the masterplan of Lagos which is being degraded and distorted.

“The relocation of computer village presently in Ikeja to Kantagua in the Abule-Egba area of the State is in progress and when fully completed will boast of world-class facilities such as schools, hospitals, clinics, hotels, banking facilities, warehouses and storage rooms, amongst others.

“This will make shopping more conducive and befitting of the mega city status as envisaged by the Governor and as obtained in other modern cities of the world,” he said.

“The Computer Village Area remains a Residential Area and its Land Use has not been changed by the State Government and this is the main reason the government is relocating the traders to Katangua for proper settlement.

If the rules say it is a residential area then it must remain a residential area, therefore, the government has to make provisions and also accommodate the people who are in this area and that is the reason why the  State Government is developing Katangua into a model market”, he added.

Babatunde said the Lagos State Government is committed to the regeneration and development of urban areas of Lagos State.

He noted that Lagos State’s exponential growth will have serious consequences on its urban space if not properly planned, hence the need for the relocation of the Computer Village to a more spacious area that will not have traffic implications and other consequences on the citizens.

While assuring shop owners and traders that the planned relocation will be transparent, the Special Adviser said the State Government will carry them along as nothing will be imposed on them, stressing that the relocation of the market will be done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the markets associations and owners of properties in the area.

Dr. Babatunde hinted that the regeneration and development of urban Lagos are not limited to Computer Village alone but to other areas across the State. He disclosed that Lagosians will soon start seeing the positive impact of the redevelopment plans on traffic de-congestions, security implications and other positive areas.

Accompanied on the assessment tour of the computer village are top management of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) led by the General Manager, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki.