FG Partners W’Bank on National Land Registration, Titling Programme
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has disclosed that the Federal Government is exploring a partnership with the World Bank to implement the National Land Registration and Titling Programme.
Dangiwa, who spoke in Abuja when the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Urban Habitats paid an oversight visit to his ministry in Abuja, said the programme would transform land ownership in Nigeria.
He revealed alarming statistics showing that less than 10 per cent of land in Nigeria is registered with proper titles, a situation, he said, hinders landowners from leveraging their land as an economic asset.
“This is unfortunate. As part of our land reforms, we are exploring a partnership with the World Bank towards the implementation of a National Land Registration and Titling Programme.
“Through this programme, we aim to partner with State Governments towards improving land formalisation from less than 10 per cent to 50 per cent in the next ten years.
Dangiwa highlighted the economic potential of this initiative, projecting that it could unlock $300bn in dead capital.
“This initiative complements the Ministry’s plans to establish a National Land Commission to operationalize the Land Use Act, further streamlining land management and usage across the country”, he said.
The minister, who outlined the expansion of the ministry’s Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme, said there are ongoing projects in 26 sites across the country.
“Phase one includes ongoing projects in 26 sites nationwide, with four sites in each of the six regions and two in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These projects aim to improve key services such as water supply, solar streetlights, rehabilitation of access roads, construction of drainage systems, waste management, and sanitation services”, he said.
Despite the process recorded, the minister identified inadequate budgetary allocations and unpaid liabilities exceeding ₦300bn, among others as some of the challenges confronting the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Dangiwa said: “There is the need to review the Land Use Act, and we have
unpaid liabilities exceeding ₦300bn. Also, there is an inadequate budgetary allocations and untimely release of funds; while there are
shortages in manpower and office accommodation.
“Also, there is the need to review the regulatory framework for the housing sector in collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and there is insufficient overhead funding for 36 state offices and the FCT headquarters.
” Inadequate funding for legal services and ongoing litigations, which currently number over 300 cases. The need to institutionalize fiscal incentives for the private sector in producing affordable and mass housing are some of our challenges”.