Lagos govt’s selective demolition of Trade Fair Complex a negative signal to potential investors, says Spaces for Change

By Ishaya Ibrahim

A non-govermental organisation, Spaces for Change, has criticised the Lagos State Government over the demolition of malls and plazas at the Trade Fair Complex, warning that it poses a dangerous signal against potential investments in the state.

A statement signed by Spaces for Change executive director, Victoria Ibezim Ohaeri, said what the team they dispatched to the site found contradicts the claim by the Lagos Government that the demolished malls were illegal structures. Besides, Spaces for Change observed that the demolitions were selective, with the affected structures specifically targeted.

The NGO warned that the actions of the government could send negative signal to potential investors in Lagos. It urged the government to hold those responsible for the unconstitutional act, saying anything less would be a betrayal of the people’s trust and an affront to humanity itself.

The full statement reads

Spaces for Change|S4C expresses deep concern about the unlawful demolitions in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State, which began on September 25, 2025, affecting a series of plazas, malls, shops, and other business premises. We demand justice for the unconstitutional destruction of several business premises in the Complex.

The demolitions selectively targeted a series of buildings under the directive of the Lagos State Government, under the guise of “(removing) illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective structures, and structures built on road setback and drainage”.

However, our team visited the demolition site yesterday, and findings reveal key facts that not only contradict the Lagos State Government’s position but also highlight grave injustices and economic sabotage.

The team met with several victims of the demolitions, the Executive Director/CEO of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board and the management team of the Complex, the president of the traders’ association, and other key stakeholders, who shared their versions of the incident.

The management and administration of the Trade Fair Complex is established by the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board Act of 1993. The Act empowers the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board to administer the buildings and regulate the erection of new structures in the Complex.

The Board grants leases to investors and business owners to erect structures within the Complex, which was corroborated by several victims’ accounts.

Victims further alleged that they have building approvals issued by the Board through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This directly contradicts the claims of the Lagos State Government about the status of the approval for these buildings, which are directly under the administration of the Federal Government.

In addition, the demolitions were carried out without prior notices to either the Board or the business owners, nor prior consultation with key stakeholders. Those protesting the demolitions by security agencies and non-state actors mobilized by the state were physically abused.

Collectively, these acts have thrown victims into a state of despair, with some of them currently hospitalised as they are in severe shock and health distress following the demolitions.This situation is clearly unacceptable.

By stripping victims of their rights to immovable property and subjecting them to economic hardship, the recent demolitions constitute brazen acts of injustice. The demolitions also demonstrate the insensitivity of the Lagos State Government to the current economic situation in the country, while sending a message of hostility to potential business investments in Lagos State.

We therefore call on the Lagos State Government to retract its steps and offer the necessary compensation to these victims. Inter-agency collaboration between the State Government and the Board is highly encouraged to prohibit the occurrence of this brazen act of injustice.

In conclusion, justice must not be delayed, negotiated, or denied in this case; it must be delivered with urgency and without compromise. Those responsible for this unconstitutional act must be held accountable, not with half-measures or empty promises, but through decisive action that restores confidence in the rule of law. Anything less is a betrayal of the people’s trust and an affront to humanity itself.(The Niche)