CHAPTER ONE
1.0    INTRODUCTION
    Land resources are fixed in location and in supply. Virtually all human activities require land. From the large scale industrial complex the supra metro-line, the traditional market to the roadside Cobbler’s shop all require land in varying dimensions (Agboola, 2004). On the surface of the land, beneath it and hanging above it are all traces of human activities which go a long way to say that land is perhaps the single most important element in development and mankind’s most basic natural resources.
    Because of the diverse needs of different human activities with respect to location and area coverage and the temporal dynamism of the location attributes and need of these human activities, there is often the intense competition for land. However, land is practically limited in supply and the awareness of land as an irreplaceable finite resource has made its care.
    Development in mainly cities starts from the centre as the benefits of inner city location’s attract several land uses towards the city centre. This has significantly influenced land use on urban centres. There is a traumatic change in land use caused by several human activities competing for scarce land in urban centres. The person who is prepared to pay the highest sum for a site is likely to eventually occupy it. Such individual will be able to successful edge out other potential users. By this operation, sites in an urban area will tend to be used for that purpose for which the user makes the highest net gain from alternative uses of that site. This would result in the highest and best use for that land. This scenario has made changes in land use, as part of urban growth inevitable. Land and buildings will continue to witness conversion of use from a lower order to a higher one in order to attain optimal use. The concern of this project is to investigate the level of conversion of land use and their implications in Nigerian cities with a focus on Bode Thomas Street Surulere Local Government, Lagos (Agboola 2004).     
1.1    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
    The land use changes coupled with higher demand for commercial uses led to the continuous increase in rent in the study area. The returns realized from the properties used for commercial purpose is greater than that of properties used for residential purpose. Due to this greater returns most residential property owners prefer their property to be used for commercial.
    Another is indiscriminate dumping of refuse along roads (thus causing road encroachment) and also on storm drainage systems and designated open space causing blockage, air and water pollution.
1.2    AIM AND OBJECTIVES
    The aim of this project is to examine the problem and prospects of conversion of residential building to commercial building taking Bode Thomas Street in Surulere local government area of Lagos state as a case study.
    In order to achieve the set goals of this study or project, few steps of objectives will be undertaking: -
(i)    To identify the residential properties converted to commercial properties in the study area.
(ii)    To examine the values of residential and commercial properties for the past 10 years.
(iii)    To know the problems and prospects of conversion of residential buildings to commercial uses.
(iv)    To study the trend in rental values in the study area.
1.3    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
(i)    To examine the root cause of the social and economic problems associated with the conversion of residential building to commercial buildings in the study area and recommended lasting solutions applicable.
(ii)    To highlights the benefit and advantages derived by the owner of the residential building being converted to commercial use.
(iii)    To analyzed and preserved the data collected from the survey for future prediction in the use pattern and value of properties in the study area.
1.4    SCOPE OF THE STUDY
    The scope of this study covers the conversion of residential buildings to commercial uses in Bode Thomas Street Surulere local government area, Lagos State.
    The research study is restricted only to the problems and prospects of conversion of residential building to commercial building with particular reference of Bode Thomas Street in Surulere Lagos. The time period considered here is between 2003 – 2013 and the type of properties are mainly detached houses.