FCTA to revoke undeveloped plots, allocations for mass housing schemes

Following the inability of property owners to build structures, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) plans to revoke all undeveloped plots of land in serviced areas allocated to individuals and corporate organisations in Abuja.

Besides, the Administration will also commence revocation of plots allocated to various developers under the mass housing scheme, which remained undeveloped and unattended since such allocations were made.

The Director, Information and Customer Service, Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS/Lands), Muhammad Hazat Sule, who stated this during a press conference in Abuja, explained that this action has become necessary because the government expended a huge sum of money in the provision of basic infrastructure in these areas and would not allow it to remain unutilised.

Sule also revealed that the administration has taken inventory of the developed and undeveloped plots, including mass housing schemes across the FCT and would soon act by revoking the undeveloped titles and reallocating them to serious private developers.

Similarly, he said some of these plots were allocated a few years ago for different purposes, including private residential, commercial and mass housing with terms and conditions that some developers have failed to comply with.

“Some of these allocation papers have been kept in briefcases without considering the terms and/or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Government. By not building structures on these huge plots of land allocated in line with the terms of allocation and MOU entered into with the government, the defaulting ones have denied access to affordable housing to thousands of residents in the FCT,” Sule said.

The director explained that the FCTA came up with the concept of mass housing to bridge the housing gap and meet housing needs of the residents.

“There is the need to remind those with such allocations to do the needful, because we had in the past allocated huge plots of land in various districts for mass housing projects across the territory. But sadly, some of these allottees are yet to develop or put structures on their plots,” he said.

He stated that they have carried out several sensitisations both in the print and electronic media for them to be responsive by developing it in line with the terms of allocations, yet, “some of the developers remained adamant.”

He, therefore, called on all allottees of mass housing plots in the FCT that have developed them to submit the names of subscribers or beneficiaries to the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and Land Administration Department for necessary documentation and subsequent issuance of Rights of Occupancy and the Certificates of Occupancy that would be bankable.

Sule, however, reiterated that “It was based on this, that the FCT Administration recently launched the Accelerated Area Council and Sectional Titles Re-issuance Scheme (AACSTRIS) to drive home this important policy as well as use the opportunity to commend few of the mass housing developers that have complied with the terms of the agreement entered into with the authorities.