Lagos government orders demolition of shopping mall due to safety issues

The Lagos State Government has ordered the demolition of the Article Shopping Complex in Satellite Town. They have also given a 14-day notice to owners of weak buildings in Agric and Coker markets in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area. These owners must conduct structural integrity tests.

This decision came after an enforcement exercise by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) on Thursday. They inspected the Article Shopping Complex in Oriade Local Council Development Area and the Agric and Coker markets in the Odun-Ade area.

Officials found many structural problems in several commercial buildings. This raised serious concerns about the safety of traders and others using these buildings.

During the inspection, Kolawole Williams, the Director of Quality Control and Post-Construction at LASBCA’s Badagry Division, said the state government will keep enforcing building safety rules. He wants to stop more buildings from collapsing.

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

He added that people in the Article Shopping Complex would be moved out before they demolish the building. An office building that was under construction at the complex was also taken down during the enforcement.

This shopping mall had already been marked for demolition. It is close to a three-storey building that collapsed last week, which killed nine people.

Mr Williams noted that inspections showed about 90 percent of buildings checked in the affected markets had different levels of damage.

At Agric Market, officials looked at 10 three-storey commercial blocks. Many of these buildings were still occupied, even though they showed clear signs of damage.

He pointed out that LASBCA marked these buildings as weak on January 29, 2026. Still, traders selling building materials continued their business in those places.

The enforcement team also checked 12 three-storey commercial buildings at Coker Market. Some of these buildings had partial structural failures but were still in use.

Market leaders told officials that they were fixing some of the damaged buildings. But the agency did not accept this reason, saying repairs cannot replace a proper structural integrity test.

Mr Williams announced that owners of the affected buildings in Agric and Coker markets have 14 days to do these tests. They must send the results to the agency for review.

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

He warned that owners who do not follow the directive or ignore government safety rules will face legal action.

This demolition order comes just a week after a three-storey building fell in the Oriade area of Satellite Town, killing nine people and injuring many others. This incident raised new worries about building safety and led to more inspections of unsafe commercial and residential structures.

Recently, the Lagos State Government has increased enforcement through LASBCA. They have repeatedly warned property owners not to occupy or develop buildings that are structurally weak. Authorities have made it clear that owners who ignore safety rules risk being prosecuted, while unsafe buildings could be sealed or demolished to protect lives.