Mbah signs executive order creating new urban areas in Enugu

On Thursday, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State signed Executive Order No. 1, 2025, designating some areas in the state as urban areas and establishing Land Use Regulation 2025.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Mbah is exercising his powers under the Land Use Act 1978.

According to the provisions of the Executive Order entitled “Enugu State Designation of Land as Urban Areas,” all of the Enugu East, Enugu North, and Enugu South Local Government Areas have been designated urban areas.

Likewise, the entire Udi, Nkanu West, Nkanu East, and Nsukka Council Areas have been designated as urban areas.

Others created as urban areas are Ndeabor, Oduma Urban Area, Awgu Town, Ihe, Agbogugu, Mgbowo, Isu-Awa, Mmaku, Ituku, and Owelli-Court urban areas, as well as Aguobuowa and Oghe in Ezeagu Council Area.

Ogbede, Ukehe, and Aku in Igbo-Etiti; Enugu Ezike in Igbo Eze North Council Area; Ibagwa-Aka in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area.

Ikem and Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area have also been designated.

The executive order also designated Oji-River, Ugwuoba, and Inyi in the Oji-River Council Area, Obollo-Afor and Orba in the Udenu Council Area, and Umulokpa and Adani in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area as urban areas.

Signing the order, Mr Mbah said, “I have just a few minutes ago signed a Land Use Regulation of 2025, and also an Executive Order designating certain locations of the state as urban areas.

“This is a major milestone and quite historic that we have just witnessed. It is in line with what we witnessed a few weeks ago when we formally launched the Enugu State Geographic Information System.

“It is a system that is designed to fast-track applications for land titles and indeed other administrative functions relating to land.

“So, what we have here today is going to bring clarity. As we all know, a lack of transparency feeds corruption.

“This is really a major milestone towards our drive not just to enhance the revenue of Enugu State, but to ensure ease of doing business”.

‘No more hidden charges’

Mr Mbah explained that the order would enable prospective applicants to quickly know their fees and the timelines for processing the application.

“With what we have done here today, there are no more hidden charges when you apply for whatever land transaction, whether for search, titles or indeed for whatever transactions you want to carry out relating to land in Enugu State.

“It is also going to end the era of double allocations, land grabbing, and all sorts of confusion that may have existed before now in our land management system.

“We have also expanded areas that before now we have designated as rural areas.

“That means effectively that those living in those locations are now able to come forward and apply for their title document, and they will be able to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy for the property and assets they have there,” Mr Mbah said.

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While commending his team for the good job done, the governor promised that there would be adequate public enlightenment on the processes of land transactions under the new order, Land Use Regulation, and the Enugu Geographic Information Service.

“This regulation clearly spells out the number of days it will require for any application, whether you are conducting your search or indeed applying to obtain your title document.

“The number, the timelines, your fees are spelt out. So, there is no confusion. So, I thank you all for all your efforts,” he stressed.