Power, Politics, and Urban Planning Decision-Making in Lagos: A Political Economy Analysis

Planning decisions in major Nigerian cities are embedded in complex political economy environments where state actors, elite interests, civil society, and international development partners interact in ways that systematically shape planning outcomes. This study develops a political economy analysis of urban planning decision-making in Lagos, examining how power relations, institutional interests, and political dynamics shape major planning decisions including master plan revision, slum upgrading, and major infrastructure development approvals. Drawing on political economy theory, critical institutionalism, and African political economy scholarship, the research employs a multi-year qualitative research design combining elite interviewing, ethnographic observation, and documentary analysis. Data were collected through 75 in-depth interviews with senior planning officials, state ministers, private developers, community organizations, and international donor representatives over three years, alongside analysis of cabinet minutes, planning authority records, and project financing documents where accessible. Specific case studies of three major planning decisions provide detailed empirical grounding for political economy analysis. Original findings are expected to demonstrate systematic patterns of elite capture in planning decisions, selective enforcement of planning regulations serving vested political interests, and the limited but real spaces for civil society influence on planning outcomes. Theoretical contributions include a political economy framework for planning decision-making adapted to the Nigerian metropolitan governance context. Policy recommendations address structural reforms to reduce capture vulnerability, strengthen accountability systems, and enable more equitable planning governance in Lagos. Keywords: Political economy, Urban planning, Lagos, Power, Governance.