The Lagos State Government announced that it had approved two significant bills aimed at reforming land administration and marriage registration procedures.
EpeInsights reports that these bills, which will soon be submitted to the State House of Assembly for further deliberation, were unveiled by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), during the 2025 Lagos State Ministerial Press Briefing.
This event marked the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
The first bill seeks to establish a Lis Pendens (Pending Litigation) Registry, designed to track and record all ongoing litigations related to land matters in Lagos State.
According to Pedro, the registry will protect the public from unknowingly engaging in transactions involving disputed properties. This measure is expected to provide greater transparency and legal clarity in land dealings, safeguarding both property buyers and sellers.
The second bill is focused on creating a Marriage and Dissolution Registry, which will register all marriages conducted in the state and issue official certificates.
Pedro emphasized that this initiative would streamline the process of marriage registration and create a more organized system for handling marriage-related legal matters in Lagos.
“These reforms will significantly improve governance and legal clarity in key areas of public interest,” Pedro said, underlining the government’s commitment to enhancing the legal framework in the state.
In addition to the land and marriage bills, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has also prepared an amendment to the State Tenancy Law of 2016.
The amendment seeks to tackle exploitative rental practices, which have become a growing concern in the rapidly urbanizing city of Lagos.
Pedro explained that the amendment would address critical issues such as unjustified rent hikes, the non-payment of rent arrears, and prolonged delays in tenancy-related litigation.
The goal is to create a fairer and more transparent rental market for both tenants and landlords.
Pedro also highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen laws surrounding sexual and domestic violence.
A draft bill has been prepared to harmonize three existing laws related to sexual and domestic violence into a unified legislation.
The aim is to create a more robust legal framework that effectively addresses and prevents domestic violence and other harmful practices across the state.
On the administration of criminal justice, the commissioner introduced the Lagos Criminal Information System, a new innovation designed to automate the handling of all criminal cases pending in the state’s magistrates’ and high courts.
This system aims to streamline case management and improve the efficiency of the legal process, making it easier to track the status of criminal cases.
Pedro also addressed the concerning state of correctional facilities in Lagos, revealing that the current inmate population stood at 9,096, which exceeds the capacity of the facilities by 106%.
The overcrowding, he noted, is a serious issue that the Ministry is working to address, with hopes that the situation will improve in the near future.
Finally, Pedro shared insights from recent crime data, which revealed that Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Lekki were the top three areas for criminal activities in Lagos.
The government is expected to take further steps to enhance security and address these crime hotspots.
These developments signal the Lagos State Government’s ongoing efforts to enhance governance, improve legal frameworks, and ensure public safety and welfare.
