A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr Oluwole Kehinde, has called on the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene in the prolonged delays at the Lagos State Lands Registry, warning that the situation is crippling commercial activities linked to land transactions.

Kehinde, speaking to The Guardian on the issue yesterday, decried what he described as a persistent administrative breakdown at the registry, which has lasted for over three months.

According to him, the delay has stalled critical processes such as the processing of Governor’s Consent and perfection of title documents, despite applicants meeting all statutory requirements.

He noted that the development has significantly disrupted commercial activities in Lagos, widely regarded as the country’s economic nerve centre, as property transactions remain incomplete and pending.

The lawyer explained that the situation is taking a toll on key stakeholders, including real estate developers, financial institutions, legal practitioners and business owners whose operations depend on timely documentation and title regularisation.

“Several transactions have been delayed, financing arrangements disrupted, and contractual obligations placed at risk due to the inability to conclude documentation processes,” he said.

Kehinde warned that the continued delay could erode investor confidence in the state’s land administration system and weaken Lagos’ reputation as a leading investment destination.

He stressed that an efficient land registry is essential to economic growth, ease of doing business and the protection of property rights, adding that the current situation falls short of these expectations.

The legal practitioner therefore urged the state government to investigate the cause of the disruption, provide clarity on the backlog, and implement immediate measures to restore normal operations.

He also called for transparency and accountability, including a clear timeline for resolving pending applications, to reassure affected stakeholders and prevent a recurrence.

The delay at the Lands Registry has, in recent weeks, drawn growing concern among industry players, with many insisting that swift government intervention is critical to restoring confidence and ensuring the smooth flow of property transactions in the state.