BREAKING: Tinubu Orders Halt on Shoreline and Coastal Developments, Pending Proper Survey Coordination (Press Statement)

Tinubu Orders Halt on Shoreline and Coastal Developments, Pending Proper Survey Coordination

In a decisive move to safeguard Nigeria’s coastal assets and federal infrastructure, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a sweeping suspension of all approvals and developments along Federal Highways, shorelines, coastal roads, islands, and lagoon areas across the country.

The directive, issued on July 30, 2025, is part of the President’s effort to enforce stricter compliance with the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Policy (NGDI) and to protect federal legacy infrastructure from uncoordinated and unlawful encroachments.

According to a statement signed by the Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGoF), Surv. Abduganiyu A. Adebomehin (FNIS, FCE), the government has placed a moratorium on all requests for documentation related to shoreline and coastal developments. Effective immediately, any development encroaching on the Federal Right of Way or undertaken without proper survey coordination will be demolished.

The directive also suspends the issuance of Allocations and Certificates of Occupancy on island and lagoon developments until they are reviewed and properly aligned with the federal infrastructural master plan.

Furthermore, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has been ordered to collate and submit all prior approvals granted to individuals or businesses to the Presidency through the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF). NIWA is also expected to cease issuing such approvals henceforth.

The Surveyor-General emphasized that under the Survey Coordination Act, Cap S13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, OSGOF remains the legally mandated institution responsible for regulating, standardizing, and harmonizing survey activities nationwide. Any existing or backdated approvals not sanctioned by the Presidency through OSGOF, he warned, are liable to revocation at the President’s directive. 

The Federal Government urged the public, developers, and corporate entities to comply strictly with the new order to avoid demolition, revocation, or legal consequences.

“This directive is to ensure that Nigeria’s infrastructural development is orderly, coordinated, and sustainable, while preventing distortions to the Federal Infrastructural Master Plan,” the statement read. 

With this landmark decision, the Tinubu administration signals a tough stance on irregular shoreline and coastal land allocations, aiming to protect federal assets, promote sustainable development, and reinforce the authority of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation as the custodian of Nigeria’s geospatial data.

Read Full Press Statement:

In view of the Presidential Directive issued by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on July 30th, 2025, regarding issues and approvals on all Federal Highways, Shorelines, Coastal Roads, Island and Lagoon Developments, Federal Legacy Infrastructure, the General Public is invited to note the following;

1.Henceforth, the Federal Government will enforce a moratorium on all requests for issuance of documentation on Shorelines, Coastal Roads, Island and Lagoon Developments.

2. All developments encroaching on Right of Way and developments conceived without proper Survey Coordination will be demolished to prevent distortion of the Federal Infrastructural Master Plan as determined by the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Policy (NGDI).

3. All approved, pending and intended requests for issuance of Allocations and Certificate of Occupancy on Island and Lagoon Developments are hereby suspended, and must be submitted for proper Survey Coordination to the Presidency, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.

4. Henceforth, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is hereby advised to collate and submit all approvals granted to any individuals or corporate business entities to the Presidency, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, and desist from issuing same subsequently.

5. The General Public is hereby advised to note that as the legally designated institution under the Survey Coordination Act, Cap S13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, OSGOF is responsible for the regulation, standardization, and harmonization of all survey activities across the country. 

All existing, wrongfully assigned, or backdated approvals heretofore mentioned that do not emanate from the Presidency, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation are subject to revocation at the directive of the President.

Signed
Surv. Abduganiyu A. Abdebomehin fnis, fce
Surveyor-General of the Federation