Ilamija, Abomiti and Other 98 Villages on Epe Axis to Undergo Major Development as Lagos Sets ₦400,000 Fee Per Plot

The Epe axis is entering a new phase. Ilamija, Abomiti and the other villages among the 98 recently released indigenous communities in the corridor are about to undergo comprehensive development, with the Lagos State Government moving to provide drainage, inner roads, gutters, electricity and every other infrastructure needed to make the settlements habitable before building can begin.

Officials describe the programme as the condition that unlocks construction: no plot owner will be expected to start a building until the access roads are cut, the drains and gutters are in place and power reaches the layouts. The idea, according to the state, is to spare the corridor the chaos of estates springing up without roads or drainage that has swallowed other parts of Lagos.

To fund the works, the state has fixed a development fee of ₦400,000 per plot. Every plot owner across the affected villages — including the newly allocated Ito-Omu scheme communities — will be required to pay the levy into the designated development account before building permits and site activities can proceed.

Surveyors and community development associations in Ilamija and Abomiti have begun compiling plot schedules so the levy can be collected plot by plot against verified surveys. Owners are being advised to keep their allocation letters, survey plans and payment receipts together, as the same file will be required for permit processing once the infrastructure works reach their layouts.

The development push follows the regulated price band introduced last month for documented lands along the axis, and residents say the combination is already changing how the communities are planned. Drainage channels are being aligned with the lagoon setbacks, inner roads follow the approved block layouts, and electricity lines will follow the roads rather than the informal routes that once crossed the farmland.

Community leaders have welcomed the works but asked the state to stagger the ₦400,000 levy for indigenous families who own several inherited plots, and to publish a works schedule showing when each village's roads, drainage and power will be delivered. The government has promised that no village among the 98 will be left out of the first phase.