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Group seeks transparency in issuance of states, federal land titles

By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia
17 August 2020   |   2:20 am
For the umpteenth time, Nigerians are seeking transparency and accountability in the housing industry, by asking public sector stakeholders - governors, housing minister and Federal Capital Territory authorities to reveal their dealings.

Festus Adebayo

For the umpteenth time, Nigerians are seeking transparency and accountability in the housing industry, by asking public sector stakeholders – governors, housing minister and Federal Capital Territory authorities to reveal their dealings.

One of the organisations leading the campaign, Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), has specifically asked that the signing of Certificate of Occupancies (C of 0s) be made public on a quarterly basis.

A statement signed by groups’ president Festus Adebayo, said such initiative would win the confidence of investors and stakeholders and further increase progress being made in the sector. 

An effective housing sector, Adebayo said, is one that thrives on transparency and accountability. Both policy makers and implementers should endeavor to always open their books for public scrutiny and knowledge. 

The disclosure of land titles issued for example, he said, is a key performance indicator for tracking housing development and ease of doing business in the country.

The statement further said that, there is need to make public the number of mortgages created by all primary mortgage institutions in the country.

According to Adebayo, the lack of accurate data has continued to pose challenges to the operators in the sector. “It is a big problem and sad as investors can’t do much without accurate data. There should be a public information portal that is accessible for all.’’

“If government understands the economic imperatives involved in land titling and making consent easier, maybe things will be better for us. Land titling is like tax nets, the government can raise income through property taxes,” he said. 

Expounding on the importance of making the data public, Adebayo said “This information will help us have data that will assist in policy formulation and better housing sector investments. 

“There is no better time to have information on number of C of O being signed by governors and ministers for housing in this country than now. We are calling for a sense of responsibility that will make Nigeria to have in public domain information on matters like this,” he said.

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