FG set to launch national digital land information, as less than 10% of Nigerian land documented – Minister
By: Tijani Salako.
The Federal Government under the leaderships of the ministry of housing and urban development has outlined strategies to modernise land administration through digital information as less than 10 per cent of Nigerian lands were documented in 140 years.
The minister for the housing and urban development disclosed this at workshop on the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme in Abuja, the Minister highlighted the dire state of land documentation in Nigeria.
Standard Times Newspaper monitored that Dangiwa thereafter announced a partnership with the private sector to accelerate land registration and documentation across the country, addressing long-standing challenges in land governance.
The minister further emphasised the need for systemic reforms, pointing out that over 90 per cent of land in Nigeria remains unregistered and untitled, rendering landowners unable to leverage their assets for economic growth.
“Experts estimated 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 said.
The minister outlined the government’s strategies, which include launching a national digital land information system to modernise land administration, increasing formal land transactions, and training land registration officers.
“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,” Dangiwa explained
He also underscored the role of the private sector in the initiative, particularly through public-private partnerships, which he said would be key to mobilising resources and expertise for the programme.
“Digitised land administration presents significant investment opportunities, and we must identify successful PPP models that can be adapted to the Nigerian context,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Standard Times Newspaper also learnt that 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 stressed that the government is committed to ensuring uniformity in land administration while respecting state-level jurisdictions.
“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 reviewed previous efforts to streamline land registration, including the work of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms, which proposed systematic land titling and registration as a viable solution.
“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 approval” the minister said.
