Lagos orders demolition of market complex

The Lagos State Government has ordered the demolition of the Article Shopping Complex in Satellite Town and issued a 14-day ultimatum to owners and traders in two major markets in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government to conduct structural integrity tests on distressed buildings following renewed concerns over building safety.

The enforcement exercise was carried out by the Lagos State Building Control Agency on Thursday after inspections at the Article Shopping Complex in Oriade Local Council Development Area and the Agric and Coker markets in the Odun-Ade area, where officials identified several deteriorating commercial buildings.

Speaking during the inspection, the Director of Quality Control and Post-Construction at LASBCA’s Badagry Division, Kolawole Williams, said the state government would not hesitate to remove unsafe structures to prevent further building collapses.

“The Lagos State Government is determined to minimise the incidence of building collapse in the state. We will continue to enforce building standards because the safety of Lagosians remains our priority,” Williams said.

He disclosed that occupants of the Article Shopping Complex would be evacuated before the facility is demolished, adding that an office building being constructed on the already distressed structure was pulled down during the operation.

According to him, the complex had previously been marked for demolition and is located a short distance from the three-storey building that collapsed last week, killing nine people.

Williams said inspections revealed that about 90 per cent of the buildings assessed across the affected markets showed varying degrees of structural distress.

At the Agric Market, officials inspected 10 blocks of three-storey buildings, many of which had deteriorated despite remaining occupied by traders deal ing in building materials.

He noted that the buildings had already been marked as distressed by LASBCA on January 29, 2026, but commercial activities were still taking place within the premises.

The enforcement team also visited the Coker Market, where 12 three-storey commercial blocks were inspected.

Several of the buildings had suffered partial structural failure, yet business activities continued as usual, with traders occupying the affected structures.

Market leaders told the officials that efforts were underway to repair some of the damaged buildings, but the agency rejected the explanation, insisting that repairs could not substitute for professional structural assessment.

Williams said owners of the distressed buildings in Agric and Coker markets had been given 14 days to carry out integrity tests and present the results to the agency before further decisions would be taken.

“Integrity tests will determine the structural condition of these buildings before the government decides the next line of action,” he said.

He warned that property owners who ignore government directives on distressed buildings would face prosecution.

“We have district officers and personnel monitoring buildings across the state. Anyone who violates safety directives will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” Williams added.

The latest enforcement comes amid intensified efforts by the Lagos State Government to strengthen compliance with building regulations following a series of building collapses recorded across the state in recent months.