Adeboruwa Excited, As 331 Landowners Receive N3.1bn Compensation

For many of the residents whose lands were acquired for public infrastructure projects across Lagos State, the presentation of compensation cheques was more than a government ceremony.

It was about the homes they lost, the family properties they had inherited, the businesses they had built around their land and, for some, the uncertainty of starting all over again.

On Monday, July 20, 2026, 331 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) received more than N3.1 billion in compensation from the Lagos State Government for properties acquired for public projects.

The presentation, held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, was attended by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, HRM Oba Barr. Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, Emugoriade I.

For the affected property owners, the cheques represented compensation for properties that had become part of Lagos’ expanding infrastructure plans.

As Lagos continues to grow, communities are increasingly finding themselves at the centre of road expansions, transportation projects and other government developments. While these projects are designed to improve the lives of millions of residents, the people whose properties are acquired often face the immediate personal cost of development.

This was why the compensation exercise was significant.

Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the government had a responsibility to ensure that residents whose properties were acquired for public projects were not left without support.

He explained that the affected properties were acquired for strategic infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity, easing movement and supporting the growth of the state.

However, the governor stressed that development must also take into consideration the people directly affected by it.

The beneficiaries, he said, were subjected to a verification process involving property enumeration, valuation and confirmation of ownership before payments were made.

For many of the beneficiaries, the process had taken time as the government worked to establish genuine ownership and determine the appropriate compensation payable to each affected person.

The Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, who represented traditional rulers in Lagos State, used the occasion to commend the governor for what he described as a people-oriented approach to governance.

Oba Kasali particularly expressed appreciation to Governor Sanwo-Olu for remembering the people of Igbogbo Kingdom in the compensation exercise.

According to the monarch, Igbogbo Kingdom recorded the highest number of beneficiaries among the communities affected by the exercise.

The development, he said, showed the extent to which government projects had affected residents of the kingdom and the importance of ensuring that such people were not forgotten in the pursuit of development.

But beyond the cheques and official speeches, the monarch had a message for the beneficiaries.

He urged them to use the money wisely.

Oba Kasali advised the recipients to invest their compensation in meaningful ventures that could improve their lives, support their families and provide some form of long-term financial security.

For some beneficiaries, the money could provide an opportunity to rebuild. For others, it could help them acquire new property, restart businesses or secure the future of their children.

The monarch also appealed to those whose compensation was still being processed to remain calm and patient.

He assured them that the Lagos State Government remained committed to ensuring that every eligible beneficiary received his or her entitlement.

The compensation exercise also reflects one of the more complicated realities of Lagos’ development.

The state needs new roads, expanded infrastructure and modern public facilities to accommodate its growing population. But behind every acquired property is a family, a landowner, a business owner or a community whose personal plans may have been disrupted by the project.

For the government, the challenge is therefore not only to build infrastructure but also to ensure that the people who make room for those projects are treated fairly.

That was the human story behind the N3.1 billion compensation exercise.

While the roads and infrastructure projects may eventually serve millions of Lagos residents, the people who lost their properties to make those projects possible are the ones who must first find a way to begin again.