The Anambra State Government has commenced the third phase of its statewide “Show Your Building Permit” enforcement exercise as part of efforts to restore order, reclaim public spaces and enforce physical planning regulations.
Leading the operation, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, said the exercise aligns with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s urban renewal vision of transforming Anambra into a modern economic hub comparable to Dubai, Taiwan and Silicon Valley.
The enforcement team visited key commercial centres including Ogbunike, Ogidi, Abagana and Nnewi, where several cases of planning violations were identified. At the Plywood Market in Ogbunike, government officials reclaimed land allegedly encroached upon by private developers and halted construction activities on sites found to be violating approved standards.
In Ogidi, authorities sanctioned structures that failed to comply with approved setbacks and intervened at the Building Materials Market where an illegal building constructed on a major drainage channel had already collapsed.
At Oye Agu Market, Abagana, sections of shopping plazas were marked for possible demolition over inadequate parking provisions and violations of the mandatory nine-metre setback requirement for commercial developments.
Similar violations were also discovered in Nnewi, where some ongoing projects were found to have breached approved planning standards and road corridor regulations, attracting sanctions and potential demolition.
Ojukwu reiterated that physical planning laws are binding on all residents and developers, warning that non-compliance could result in severe penalties, including demolition of offending structures. He stressed that adherence to approved building regulations is essential to achieving the state’s long-term vision of sustainable urban development and economic transformation.
The state government says the exercise will continue across Anambra to ensure compliance, protect public infrastructure and promote orderly development.
