Govt to unveil digital land information system

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to unveil a National Digital Land Information System as part of a partnership with the World Bank to address Nigeria’s vast untitled and unregistered land.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, disclosed this in a statement, noting that over 90 per cent of land in Nigeria remained unregistered, tied up more than $300 billion in dead capital.

The collaboration, which emerged from a meeting between the minister and a World Bank delegation led by Vice President (Infrastructure) Guangzhe Chen, aims to increase the formal registration and documentation of land within five years.

Dangiwa said, “This is very important to our government, as over 90 per cent of land in our country is unregistered and untitled. Experts estimate a dead capital of over $300 billion.

“Through this initiative that we plan to implement with the World Bank, we aim to, among other objectives, register, document, and title all land parcels within five years; develop and launch a National Digital Land Information System and define a framework that makes it accessible to all stakeholders; increase the formalisation of land transactions from less than 10 per cent to over 50 per cent in the next 10 years; and train and deploy technically competent land registration officers nationwide.”

The minister emphasised that formal land registration would open up significant revenue streams for state governments through increased ground rent, Certificates of Occupancy, and taxes derived from greater real estate investment.

The funds, he said, could be channelled into urban services to mitigate climate change impacts across Nigeria’s cities.

“We have examples from states implementing proper land registration systems using Geographic Information Systems. Kaduna and Nasarawa are two good examples. These states have not only been able to significantly improve land registrations but have also generated huge revenues in the process,” Dangiwa stated.

The minister also outlined other areas of focus, including the development of a framework to address systemic barriers in the housing sector, which would encourage private investment in affordable housing and improve urban livability through enhanced urban management.

Chen stated that the World Bank was committed to providing technical and financial support to Nigeria’s land administration reforms.

He expressed the bank’s willingness to support Nigeria in land administration, affordable housing, climate change resilience, and urban land management.

He highlighted successful urban resilience models from other African countries that could be adapted for Nigeria.

“We have developed some models and worked with some countries in West and Central Africa on urban livability and resilience, and these models can be reviewed and replicated in Nigeria,” Chen said.

The World Bank’s Country Director, Ndiame Diop, further emphasized the importance of addressing Nigeria’s land titling challenges.

“The issue of land registration, which I find worrisome, is one area that requires urgent attention.

“Having 90 per cent of land unregistered can be an obstacle for development in the sector,” Diop said.

He assured that the World Bank would continue working with the ministry and state governments to enhance the land titling system and foster collaboration between stakeholders.

In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, requested the World Bank’s support for capacity building, particularly for the ministry’s incoming staff, as many experienced officials were nearing retirement.

He stated that with the rollout of the National Digital Land Information System, the ministry would make significant strides in modernising Nigeria’s land registry and unlocking the economic potential of its land assets.