This paper examines the historical development of town planning in Lagos under colonialism. Unfortunately, the contributions of British town planners to the development of Lagos have not been given scholarly attention by historians. It is therefore against this background that this study attempts to historicize the development and politicization of town planning activity in the colony of Lagos from 1920 to the end of the Second World War in 1945. This work also highlights the contributions of the British town planners to urban development in colonial Lagos with particular emphasis on the prominent role played by Albert Thompson. During the period under study, the colonial government employed surveillance, inspection, and modification of built forms, provision of municipal facilities, and the demarcation of space to plan the environment. However, this paper also discusses the conspicuous challenges faced by town planning during the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Finally, some directions for future research are suggested. https://www.socionauki.ru/journal/articles/1213971/