Real estate owners from outside of Nigeria are very worried about the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, especially in the OkunAjah area of Lagos. They want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step in right away. The group says that Minister David Umahi and the Federal Ministry of Works are breaking the law by helping people get paid for a new road alignment that is different from the one that was allowed in 2006. Investors are very angry about this change because they say it goes against the rule of law and the rights that Nigerian law gives to property owners.
A press conference was held on November 15, 2024, where the investors said again that the Ministry of Works’ acts are breaking the law. They say the ministry doesn’t care about the Lagos State Properties Protection Law of 2016, which was made to stop illegal occupation, forced land deals, and other dishonest land-related activities. The group was also worried about the destruction of WinHomes Global Estate, a property that one of the investors properly bought and say was torn down without proper notice or payment. They say that this demolition has everything to do with the current coastal road project, which has now grown to include the new route that the Federal Ministry of Works wants to use.
Among the investors’ complaints is the fact that the current project alignment is different from the one that President Tinubu agreed to in 2006. They say that the ministry’s acts are going against what the gazetted alignment was meant to do, which was to keep people from getting on private property. In response, the investors have made a number of demands that they think are necessary to protect their interests and make sure the law is followed:
Sticking to the First Alignment The investors want the original road alignment that President Tinubu allowed in 2006 to be fully restored. They say that this alignment was made so that current developments would be affected as little as possible and so that landowners’ property rights would be respected.
Not in favor of the compensation plan The Ministry of Works has suggested that those who will be harmed by the new alignment should be given money, but the investors have turned down this idea. Instead, they want the problem to be dealt with legally and demand that pay be based on sticking to the original agreement. They say that paying them money is not an acceptable answer because it doesn’t address the main problem, which is that their property was invaded illegally.
Making it easier for property rights to be protected The investors have asked that the Lagos State Properties Protection Law of 2016 be enforced more strictly. This law was made to protect landowners from fraud and illegal land purchase. They think this rule is very important to protect investors and property owners from being ripped off by powerful people or the government.
Right away investigation and action The investors want both the state and federal governments to look into the alleged illegal activities and move quickly to fix the problem. During the process, they stress how important it is to be open and have a fair look at what the Ministry of Works did.
Many of the real estate owners are from outside of Nigeria, and they are very worried about what these events could mean for their investments and the Nigerian real estate market as a whole. They say that acts like these send a bad message to foreign investors, who might think twice about putting money into Nigeria because they are worried about legal protections and the rule of law. The investors also said that they are ready to work with the government to improve facilities, but that any partnership must be based on trust and legal rights.
The investors wrote a letter to President Tinubu asking him to step in and make sure that the original alignment, which was approved in 2006, is kept and that property owners’ rights are respected. They made it clear that the Lagos State government has come a long way in dealing with land problems. They asked the federal government to support these efforts instead of working against them. They were also worried about what this would mean for Nigeria’s business climate in general. Some said that more violations of property rights could cause fewer foreign investments.
It’s important to protect people’s property rights while also building infrastructure, as shown by the debate over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project. Infrastructure projects are important for national growth, but they need to be carried out in a way that follows the law and fairly compensates those who are harmed. The result of this dispute could have a big impact on how land-related issues are handled in the future in Nigeria. This is especially true as the country’s real estate market continues to grow quickly and attract investors from around the world.
While the disagreement goes on, the investors are still adamant that their properties should be protected and that the government needs to follow the law. They are dedicated to protecting the law and making sure that illegal land purchases don’t put their investments at risk. Aside from that, they hope that a solution can be found that lets the building of national infrastructure continue without stepping on the rights of private property. Their request for help is not only a plea for justice for the people who have been hurt, but also a call for everyone in the country to protect property rights.
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