Lagos Risks Losing Historic Buildings as Stakeholders Demand Government Action

Bennett Oghifo

Lagos risks losing more of its historic buildings to neglect and demolition unless the government strengthens conservation policies, enforces protection measures and commits adequate resources to maintaining the structures, stakeholders in the built environment have warned.

At a seminar organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Lagos Island Cell, stakeholders called on the Lagos State Government to move beyond assurances and adopt deliberate measures to protect heritage buildings, describing them as irreplaceable records of the state’s history and valuable examples of durable construction.

The seminar, themed “Preserving Lagos Island Heritage Building,” was held at the historic Olusi Palace, a structure that has stood for more than a century and served as both a royal residence and a venue for resolving community disputes during the colonial era.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Abiodun, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preserving the state’s heritage buildings, but stressed that effective conservation must begin with recognising their historical and architectural significance.

“One cannot preserve what one does not believe in. I think the first challenge is for us to go back and understand what these important heritage structures are. If you understand the importance of these edifices, you start thinking about how to preserve them,” he said.

Abiodun said historic buildings should be incorporated into educational activities, particularly for students of architecture, building and engineering, who could study the construction methods that have enabled older structures to survive for decades.

He described Olusi Palace as an important monument that should not be allowed to disappear, urging schools and tertiary institutions to expose students to its historical and architectural value.

The commissioner’s commitment comes amid concerns raised at the seminar over the loss of historic buildings and the need for more effective government intervention to prevent further demolitions.

Former BCPG President, Dr Kunle Awobodu, said the survival of Olusi Palace for more than 90 years, despite exposure to coastal environmental conditions, demonstrated the value of sound construction practices and the need to preserve buildings with proven durability.

He said the palace’s architecture and construction techniques deserved recognition as a monument for future generations, particularly at a time when concerns over building quality and structural failures have intensified.

Awobodu urged stakeholders to promote the sustainability of such structures, noting that their preservation would provide practical lessons for professionals and students in the built environment.

The royal host and elder statesman, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, said the seminar should mark a turning point in the government’s approach to heritage conservation, insisting that the responsibility for protecting historic buildings must not be left to private owners and families alone.

He said the palace, built nearly a century ago using specialised construction techniques, demonstrated the importance of regular maintenance and long-term planning.

“Nigeria does not lack maintenance; rather, what we need is to increase our ability for maintenance. Though we are trying our best in that regard, governments need to do more,” Olusi said.

He urged the government to strengthen its commitment to maintaining heritage structures, arguing that their continued existence was essential to preserving Lagos’s historical identity.

The Coordinator of BCPG Lagos Island Cell, Mr Mubarak Gbaja-Biamila, said government intervention was particularly important because some historic buildings had been demolished despite previous preservation efforts.

He said Olusi Palace, also known as an Iga, had remained standing for more than a century, while other heritage structures had disappeared.

Gbaja-Biamila blamed the loss of some historic buildings on demolitions by family members and called for stronger government action to protect surviving monuments.

“Governments are trying, but they need to do more in preserving these iconic heritages. In the past, the government tried, but family members came and demolished those heritages,” he said.

He urged the authorities to ensure that historic buildings were protected and maintained as part of Lagos’s heritage and made accessible for educational purposes.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, Engr Olayinka Adio, also called for a more deliberate government policy on heritage conservation, particularly on Lagos Island, which was a major administrative centre during the colonial era.

Adio said the preservation of historic monuments required a sustained commitment from government, warning that inadequate maintenance could undermine efforts to protect the state’s architectural heritage.

The stakeholders called for stronger conservation measures, improved maintenance and greater public awareness to prevent further losses.

They said the Lagos State Government must translate its commitment into sustained action by prioritising heritage buildings in urban planning, strengthening protection against avoidable demolition and ensuring that surviving structures are maintained for future generations.