Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has revealed that presently over 90 percent of land in Nigeria remains unregistered, with an estimated $300 billion in dead capital due to longstanding land registration challenges.
Dangiwa made the assertion at the 29th Conference of Directors of Land in the Federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) in Abuja, saying, “We are about to embark on a groundbreaking initiative and work with the World Bank to address the issues holistically.”
He explained that the partnership is aimed at registering, documenting, and titling all land parcels within five years, and this initiative will bring state governments to clarify and offer security to land ownership, unlocking its potential for development and investment.
“The development and launch of the National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) has promoted the system with technology and personnel designed to be located in all 36 states of Nigeria, which will equally streamline land transactions, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible,” he added.
The Housing Minister further explained that it will increase the formalisation of land transactions, boost economic activity, and enhance property rights protection by increasing formal land transactions from less than 10 percent to over 50 percent within a decade.
He said: “We will train and deploy technically competent land registration officers nationwide. This well-trained workforce is essential to implementing a successful land registration system.”
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He stated that they aim to address pertinent issues that are hampering the government’s ability to maximise the revenue-earning potential of its landed assets, as several owners of titled properties have failed to pay ground rent and other statutory charges to the Ministry for several years now.
He said, “This non-compliance has resulted in the loss of trillions of naira in revenue to the Federal Government, and this will not be tolerated as this revenue is much needed to deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda to Nigerians. As such, all Federal C of O title owners are hereby given a 60-day notice to settle all outstanding ground rent and statutory charges. Failure to make payment within this period will result in the revocation of their C of Os.”
Earlier, Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi noted that some of the most pressing issues facing Nigeria, the continent, and the world at large include land administration problems, climate change, and the protection of community rights.
Ogunbiyi also added that this gathering will create an enabling environment where experienced stakeholders in land administration from Federal and State levels, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, are tasked with navigating the complexities of land stewardship in an era of unprecedented environmental challenges and social transformation, and proffering solutions for effective and efficient land administration.
Also, the Director of Land and Housing, ESV Collins Alabi, said that stewardship of land, which is one of our most precious resources, requires careful management and equitable distribution, noting that we face rising pressures from urban expansion, population growth, and the effects of climate change.\
