The Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Ikoyi–Obalende Cell, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently oversee the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the long-abandoned Old Federal Government Secretariat and the adjacent Ikoyi Towers in Lagos.
The guild warned that the neglected structures have become significant environmental and safety hazards.
According to the Guardian, in an open letter signed by coordinator Bola Arilesere, an architect, and Secretary Adebola Adeyera, BCPG highlighted the risks associated with continued neglect and appealed for immediate government intervention.
The Old Federal Secretariat, a 12-storey building erected in 1976, was largely abandoned in 1991 following the relocation of the Federal Capital to Abuja. Once a hub of government operations, the building was proposed in 1993 to be converted into a residential development for roughly 480 families, a plan that was never realized.
Meanwhile, the three 12-storey Ikoyi Towers, built in 1978 on a separate but adjoining site, have remained vacant since 2005.
The properties occupy distinct parcels of land, with the Old Federal Secretariat covering around 120,000 square metres, while the Ikoyi Towers sit on approximately 12,140.569 square metres (about three acres) of prime Ikoyi land.
According to BCPG, successive administrations have attempted to address the buildings’ status, but both assets have remained underutilised, frustrating Lagos residents who view them as valuable public infrastructure.
Based on 2025 market valuations, the guild conservatively estimates the combined assets at N12.608 trillion (about $9.3 billion).
“Continued non-utilisation represents a substantial opportunity cost to the Federal Government, with estimated foregone revenue of about N93.5 billion, net of operating expenses, based on conservative rental yield assumptions for comparable developments in Ikoyi,” BCPG stated.
The guild added that the ongoing abandonment has exacerbated structural decay, increased rehabilitation costs, and created avoidable safety risks for security personnel, informal users, nearby residents, and workers in the surrounding urban corridor.
“Beyond financial considerations, prolonged abandonment has contributed to progressive structural deterioration, escalating rehabilitation costs, and avoidable safety risks to security personnel, informal users, neighbouring residents, and workers within the surrounding urban corridor. In addition, steel scrap thieves and vandals have increasingly targeted abandoned structures nationwide, stripping valuable components and accelerating the decay of these national assets. Given the strategic importance of this location, timely intervention has become increasingly critical,” the guild said.
BCPG also noted that it first highlighted these concerns on May 25, 2024, the first anniversary of President Tinubu’s tenure.
“On May 25, 2024, marking the first anniversary of your tenure as President of Nigeria, we issued a press release highlighting the deteriorating state of the Federal Government Secretariat and adjoining buildings in Ikoyi. We are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of the Federal Secretariat buildings and the neighbouring Ikoyi Towers, which for decades have remained unused despite their strategic location and immense national value. In acknowledging positive developments, BCPG members in Lekki have expressed excitement about the transformative impact of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road Corridor on housing and urban renewal across the Peninsula.”
The association argued that a successful remodelling of the Old Federal Secretariat and Ikoyi Towers could drive regeneration across Ikoyi, widely regarded as the President’s primary constituency and residential base.
“Our sole demand is the restoration of active use to these national monuments, which we are confident will generate significant economic and social benefits for Nigeria. In light of the foregoing, we urge Mr President to use his influence to convert decades of underutilisation into opportunity through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Ikoyi Old Federal Government Secretariat and Ikoyi Towers. Such action will enhance public safety, restore public confidence in federal infrastructure management, and set a strong precedent for sustainable and strategic asset utilisation nationwide. We thank you and wish you every success in your tenure of office,” the guild concluded.
