The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Building Control Agency, has ordered the demolition of the Article Shopping Complex in Satellite Town and issued a 14-day deadline to owners of distressed buildings in Agric and Coker markets within Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area to conduct structural integrity assessments on their properties.
The directive followed an enforcement and inspection exercise conducted on Thursday by officials of the agency at the Article Shopping Complex in the Oriade Local Council Development Area, as well as the Agric and Coker markets located along the Odun-Ade axis.
According to the agency, a number of the commercial structures inspected showed signs of serious structural weaknesses, raising concerns over the safety of traders, occupants, and members of the public.
Speaking during the exercise, Kolawole Williams, Director of Quality Control and Post-Construction at LASBCA’s Badagry Division, stated that the Lagos State government remains committed to the strict enforcement of building regulations as part of its efforts to curb the increasing number of building collapses across the state.
“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 stated.
Kolawole Williams disclosed that occupants of the Article Shopping Complex would be evacuated ahead of the planned demolition, noting that an office building under construction within the already distressed complex was demolished during the enforcement exercise.
He explained that the shopping complex had previously been marked for demolition and is located close to the three-storey building that collapsed last week, claiming the lives of nine people.
Williams revealed that inspection findings showed that nearly 90 percent of the buildings assessed in the affected markets exhibited varying degrees of structural defects.
At Agric Market, officials examined 10 three-storey commercial buildings, many of which were still actively being used for business despite obvious signs of deterioration.
According to him, the buildings had been identified and marked as distressed by the agency as far back as January 29, 2026, but traders, particularly those dealing in building materials, continued operating from them.
The enforcement team also inspected 12 three-storey commercial structures at Coker Market, where some buildings were found to have suffered partial structural damage while still housing business activities.
Although market leaders told officials that repair works were ongoing in some of the affected buildings, the agency insisted that renovations alone are not enough and cannot replace a proper structural integrity test carried out by professionals.
Williams stated that owners of the affected properties in both Agric and Coker markets have been given 14 days to conduct integrity tests and submit the reports to the agency for review.
He explained that the tests would help determine the true structural condition of the buildings and guide the government’s next course of action.
He also warned that property owners who fail to comply with the directive or disregard government safety measures could face prosecution, stressing that district officers and monitoring teams are actively tracking building compliance across the state.
