10/08/2026
DISASTERS DON'T ALWAYS HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT , MANY ARE CREATED BY HUMAN ACTIONS
Every year, lives, homes, and investments are lost because buildings are erected in unsafe and prohibited locations. In many cases, these disasters could have been prevented by proper land surveying, planning approval, and compliance with building line regulations. Constructing buildings beneath high voltage electricity transmission lines, within pipeline corridors, inside flood plains, too close to ravines, or within road setbacks exposes occupants to avoidable risks such as electrocution, pipeline explosions, erosion, flooding, structural collapse, and road expansion demolitions.
The Building Lines (Federal Trunk Roads) Act, Cap. B6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act, and the relevant State Urban and Physical Planning Laws empower planning authorities to enforce building lines and right-of-way
Common Right-of-Way and Setback Requirements
While the applicable authority should always be consulted for a specific site, the following are commonly applied standards in Nigeria:
As you are rushing to buy along new calabar costal highways, be careful, Federal Trunk Roads: Building setback commonly ranges from 45–90 metres from the road centreline, depending on the class of the highway and the approved right of way.
- State Roads: Common building setbacks generally range from 15–30 metres from the road centreline, subject to state planning regulations
- Local Government Roads: Usually 9–15 metres from the road centreline, depending on the approved layout.
-High-Voltage Transmission Lines: A safety corridor of about 25 metres on each side of the transmission line is commonly maintained, depending on the voltage level and the requirements of the transmission authority.
- Petroleum Pipelines: The Nigerian pipeline right-of-way is commonly 15 metres on each side of the pipeline centreline (30 metres total corridor). No permanent structure
