The Lagos State Government says it has fully digitised its planning permit system, marking a significant shift in how property approvals and land administration are handled in one of Africa’s largest megacities.

The transition is anchored on the Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS), which according to the state government, serve as an end-to-end digital platform that replaces decades of manual and semi-digital workflows with a unified system designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and regulatory compliance. Under the new regime, all planning permit applications must be processed exclusively through the platform, effectively eliminating manual submissions.

The system covers the full lifecycle of approvals, from planning permission to construction authorisation and stage certification, signalling a move towards integrated digital service delivery in the state’s urban planning ecosystem.

The introduction of EPPPS, launched earlier in 2026, the state government says, is aimed at addressing these inefficiencies by enabling online submissions, real-time application tracking, and standardised workflows. The latest directive to fully eliminate manual processing underscores what officials describe as a structural reform in Lagos’ digital governance framework.

Lagos: EPPPS go-live marks structural reform in digital governance

Planning permits remain a legal requirement for all developments in Lagos, governed by the state’s physical planning laws and enforced through multiple agencies. Historically, the process has been characterised by extensive paperwork, physical inspections, and inter-agency bottlenecks, often resulting in prolonged approval timelines.

The introduction of EPPPS, launched earlier in 2026, the state government says, is aimed at addressing these inefficiencies by enabling online submissions, real-time application tracking, and standardised workflows. The latest directive to fully eliminate manual processing underscores what officials describe as a structural reform in Lagos’ digital governance framework.

Speaking at a press conference in Alausa Ikeja, Olajide Abiodun, Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, described the reform as a turning point in the state’s transition to digital governance.

“Lagos State has entered the dawn of a new era in digital processing of Planning Permissions, Authorisations to Commence Construction Works, Stage Certification, amongst other services,” he said. “Under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, we are actively transitioning from legacy, manual systems toward a highly efficient, transparent, and scalable digital framework.”

Abiodun stressed that manual processing of planning permits has been completely discontinued, warning that any attempt to process permits outside the digital platform would be considered illegal.

According to the state government, the rollout is supported by fully digitised backend infrastructure across key agencies, including the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

“Meanwhile, the State Government has achieved 100% training and retraining of personnel, 100% computer systems deployment across all districts of LASPPPA and LASBCA, and 100% internet deployment across all district offices. The infrastructure is fully ready, tested and running,” according to Abiodun.

At the core of the broader land administration ecosystem is Aumentum Software, which powers digital land records and the processing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O). The platform enables secure, searchable land records while accelerating processing timelines, factors seen as critical to improving investor confidence in Lagos’ real estate sector.

“Aumentum is a highly robust and secure digital system driving the complete digitisation of our land administration ecosystem, most notably the digital processing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O),” Abiodun added.

The state is also integrating financial workflows through the Moola Tracker, a digital tool linked with Aumentum to streamline mortgage consent processing. Officials say the system significantly reduces bureaucratic delays.

“Previously, the processing of Mortgage Consent was a tedious journey involving about 29 manual steps, which took an unending number of days. We are happy to announce that with this integrated digital solution, we have reduced it to just eight steps,” Abiodun said.

Beyond digitisation, Lagos is embedding regulatory technology into its building control framework through the Certified Accredited Programme (CAP), a public-private partnership model designed to strengthen compliance with building codes and address risks such as structural failures in a rapidly urbanising environment.

The initiative is expected to improve oversight, accelerate project delivery, and reduce incidents of building collapse by ensuring stricter adherence to regulatory standards.

To enhance accessibility, the state government has also launched a regional e-GIS office in Ikeja, providing a decentralised, customer-facing hub for digitised land administration services. The move is expected to reduce the need for residents to travel to central offices in Alausa for routine land-related inquiries.

Officials say the combined reforms signal Lagos State’s transition from fragmented, paper-based systems to a fully integrated digital governance model for urban development.