LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mr. Bolaji Kayode Robert, says the state government has invited the National Boundary Commission (NBC), to mediate between Lagos and Ogun States over disputed land.
Robert disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, as part of the ongoing 2025 Ministerial Press Briefings.
According to him, the intervention became necessary due to recurring boundary tensions, particularly in areas like Ode-Omi, which both Lagos and Ogun claim as part of their respective territories.
“We have contacted the National Boundary Commission over the lingering boundary issues between Lagos and Ogun States. These disputes affect communities such as Ojodu LCDA and Ifo LGA, Ikoga Zebbe and Ado-Odo/Ota, and notably, Ode-Omi,” the Commissioner said.
The Ode-Omi axis, located on the outskirts of Lekki, has long been a flashpoint between the two states, with both asserting historical and administrative ownership.
Ogun State, for its part, insists that Ode-Omi falls within the jurisdiction of the Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
In November 2024, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun had emphatically declared that no inch of Ogun territory would be handed over.
“Not a portion of Ogun State land will be ceded to Lagos or Ondo,” the governor said while addressing stakeholders in the state.
Lagos, however, has now elevated the matter to federal authorities through formal engagement with the NBC. Robert stressed that the state was not seeking confrontation, but resolution.
“We are committed to peaceful co-existence, but we are also determined to protect the territorial integrity of Lagos State. We will rely on institutional mechanisms to resolve these matters,” he said.
To aid in delineating boundaries and averting potential clashes, Robert said the Ministry had installed 22 boundary signposts across nine Local Government and Local Council Development Areas (LGAs/LCDAs).
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“These signposts serve as physical markers and reminders of our commitment to clarity and peace. They also assist in pre-empting communal disputes,” he said.
He noted that the Ministry’s Boundary Department functions as the Secretariat of the Lagos State Boundary Committee, as established by the Lagos State Boundary Committee Law of 2009.
He said through mediation and inspections, the department had successfully resolved several intra-state boundary frictions, including those between Badagry LGA and Oriade LCDA, Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA, as well as between Ikeja LGA and Ojodu LCDA.
“We work closely with the Office of the State Surveyor-General and continually engage community leaders to ensure peaceful coexistence,” Robert explained.
“In the year under review, our interventions in jurisdictional disputes among traditional rulers have also yielded results, thereby averting avoidable tensions.”
Robert also presented the Ministry’s scorecard in the areas of local government administration and staff welfare.
“We approved 85 capital projects across the 57 councils in Lagos State and ensured strict adherence to due process by issuing 14 regulatory circulars guiding council operations,” he said.
He said one of the key highlights was the payment of over ₦775 million in insurance benefits to families of deceased staff of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and local governments.
“A total of ₦775,071,226.16 was disbursed to 271 beneficiaries. This is in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s commitment to the welfare of public servants and their families,” the Commissioner added.
The Ministry also recorded notable achievements in marriage registration and licensing matters.
“We granted 43 special license approvals and 12 church licenses, and distributed 176 marital documents to LGAs and LCDAs for statutory marriages,” Robert said.
