The Federal Government has revealed that only a small fraction of Nigerian land has been officially documented over the past 140 years.
At the recent Workshop on the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme in Abuja, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, highlighted the critical gaps in land documentation across the country.
“Since the inception of formal land registration in Nigeria in 1883, the processes have been conducted under a non-compulsory sporadic system, which is slow, cumbersome, opaque, and expensive for the average landowner. It is no surprise, therefore, that less than 10 per cent of the entire land in our country is registered in 140 years,” Dangiwa stated.
To address this long-standing issue, the minister announced a partnership with the private sector to fast-track land registration nationwide. He stressed that over 90 per cent of land remains untitled, preventing landowners from leveraging their assets for financial growth.
“Experts estimate that this has resulted in dead capital exceeding $300bn. Addressing this issue is not just about administrative efficiency; it is a critical step toward economic transformation,” he added.
Dangiwa outlined the government’s strategies, which include establishing a national digital land information system, modernising land administration, and training professionals to streamline registration processes.
“We aim to register, document, and title all land parcels to unlock Nigeria’s dead capital, empowering landowners to utilise their assets for economic growth,” he explained.
The minister also underscored the importance of public-private partnerships in mobilising resources and expertise for the initiative.
“Digitised land administration presents significant investment opportunities, and we must identify successful PPP models that can be adapted to the Nigerian context,” he noted.
The World Bank has pledged its support for the initiative. Representing the World Bank Country Director, Dr Michael Ilesanmi, Senior Special Development Specialist, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to the programme.
“The National Land Registration and Documentation Programme aligns with the vision of the World Bank to eradicate poverty. We are proud to be partners of the government of Nigeria on a number of development initiatives. Indeed, this particular programme will help unlock the potential of the national and sub-national economies for investors,” he said.
Dangiwa assured that the reforms will respect state-level jurisdictions while establishing a unified framework to enhance efficiency.
“Our role is to establish a uniform framework that enables states to build credible, efficient, and interoperable land titling and registration systems, fostering nationwide integration and functionality,” he stated.
The workshop also revisited past attempts to improve land registration, particularly the recommendations of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms, which advocated for systematic land titling.
“There is industry-wide and global acceptance that it is the best and most proven method for titling, with adoption by several states already. What remains now is to have the National Council of State approve it,” the minister said.
The initiative aims to boost formal land transactions from the current 10 per cent to over 50 per cent in the next decade, improving access to credit and increasing internally generated revenue for states.
Dangiwa assured stakeholders that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has the political will to see these reforms through.
“With the support of the World Bank, we are on the cusp of making history in Nigeria,” he added.
