Belgore Assures Improved Welfare for Staff, Calls for Additional Commitment To Deliver Presidential Priorities    *  Urges union leaders to engage, harmonize and present a unified demands for his action    The Permanent Secretary,  Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Belgore has assured the staff of the ministry of improved welfare, and called for additional commitment to deliver the Presidential priorities and ministerial mandates of providing affordable housing for Nigerians    Dr Belgore spoke during his interactive meeting with the staff of the ministry, saying the purpose of the meeting was to understand the concerns of staff and address them accordingly.    " I am a workaholic, but I am encouraged because everyone here wants to work. The problem is job satisfaction and happiness at work. I assure you I will do everything to make your work and life easier,” he stated. ‎ On transportation difficulties, Dr. Belgore told the staff of the plan by the Ministry to procure new buses, and in the interim directed the Director of Human Resources Management to move two buses from the Lagos field office to the headquarters in Abuja to augment the existing fleet. ‎ ‎“I have looked into the bus issue and I know the buses have run down. That is why new buses are being added to the fleet. I am hopeful these will bring some respite,” he said. ‎On sports matters, he announced that funds had been sourced and released to enable the Ministry’s participation in the ongoing sports tournament in Adamawa state.  ‎ ‎Regarding working tools, Dr. Belgore revealed that the procurement process for computers, laptops, desktops, printers, and scanners has commenced, emphasizing that with the right tools, staff can perform optimally from any location. Accordingly, he disclosed that the ministry’s manpower challenge would soon be addressed, as the ministry is working to secure final approaval for recruitment of new officers to boost the Ministry’s workforce, which has significantly reduced due to the progressive retirement of staff from the Federal Civil Service. ‎ ‎" Upon assumtion of duty, i observed a drastic reduction in staff strength, necessitating the recruitment of new personnel. We have written to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the President, for special approval for recruitment due to our peculiar operational structure" he explained  ‎ ‎According to him, the ministry has a peculiar problem "because our field offices all over the country need staff to work there"  ‎ ‎Sharing insights into his work ethics, he noted that the commitment and positive attitude of staff motivate him to work harder, stressing that the major gaps are job satisfaction and workplace happiness, issues he pledged to address. ‎ ‎He appealed for continued patience, dedication, and trust from staff as management works to improve conditions, and clear the backloge of outstanding liabilities as soon as its practicable.  ‎Dr Belgore directed the union leaders to engage with the Directors of Human Resource, Finance and Accounts, and Reform Coordination & Service Improvement to harmonize their demands and present a unified resolution for his action. ‎ ‎“ Work together and come up with a consensus. Bring the resolution to me, and I assure you we will implement what is agreed. ‎I want you to enjoy coming to work. I will do my best to make this a conducive work environment,” he concluded  ‎ ‎Earlier, the Director of Human Resources Management, Ademola Ayodele, commended the Permanent Secretary for his exemplary leadership and commitment to creating an enabling environment for optimal staff performance.  He reaffirmed the management’s commitment to staff welfare through open communication, dialogue, and continuous engagement. ‎ ‎The Chairman of the Staff Union, Dr. Frank Ejiofor, also commended the Permanent Secretary for convening the meeting and stressed the need for continuous motivation, support, and welfare enhancement to boost productivity amid current economic realities.  He emphasized the importance of regular dialogue and improved staff remuneration to cushion prevailing hardships, saying that staff are going through difficult times with high cost of transportation and prolonged delay in the settlement of outstanding liabilities.  " We are suffering and crying in silence, and yet we are commited to give our best for the Ministry to deliver on it's mandates with the necessary motivation and support of the management" he remarked  ...

Falana Applauds FG's National Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme Kano, Nigeria:   Human rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (a.k.a Land4Growth), describing it as a bold, progressive and transformative intervention that will unlock economic growth, enforce property rights and protect citizens from exploitation.   Falana delivered his remarks today on Day 2 of the ongoing 30th Conference of Directors of Lands, holding in Kano, where he presented a detailed position paper on the reform of Nigeria’s land administration system.    He applauded the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for championing a programme that targets increasing Nigeria’s formal land registration from less than 10% to 50% within a decade, in partnership with the World Bank.    According to him, a properly executed nationwide land titling programme will mark the beginning of a new wealth creation era for millions of Nigerians and put an end to decades of informal transactions, land disputes, corruption and the harassment of citizens by illicit land operators and omo onile cartels.    He stressed that over 90% of Nigerian land assets currently exist as ‘dead capital’, a condition that undermines mortgage access, hinders housing development, and limits economic participation.    Falana, however, urged the government to ensure that the Land4Growth remains inclusive, accessible and free of financial burden for citizens, especially vulnerable households in rural communities.    Accordingly, he called for a financing structure that places the responsibility of titling costs squarely on the government while ensuring legal enforcement and transparency at every stage of implementation.    He further noted that the success of the programme must go beyond digitization and urban pilots, warning that without parallel reforms in enforcement of the Land Use Act and protection of customary rights, digitization could simply “modernize the old inequities.”   He also advocated a stronger linkage between land titling and financing mechanisms under existing laws like the National Housing Fund and Federal Mortgage Bank frameworks, so that formal titles translate directly into real access to mortgages and mass housing delivery.    The Senior Advocate, concluded with a strong call to action to stakeholders across government institutions, financial institutions, developers, civil society and youth to treat the Land4Growth as a national development imperative, not just a technical exercise.   “ No country can develop without proper land documentation,” he declared, urging stakeholders to seize the moment to restructure Nigeria’s land sector into a transparent, equitable and economically empowering system for all citizens. ...

Housing Minister Charges States To Allocate One-to-three Percent Annual Budgets For Land Titling Programme    * Says Land4Growth is Nigeria’s Surest Path to a $1 Trillion Economy   The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has issued a bold call for State Governments to dedicate between 1 and 3 percent of their annual budgets to land administration and systematic land titling, declaring that credible land governance is the country’s strongest lever for building a trillion-dollar economy.   Dangiwa made the call in Kano, in a keynote address at the opening of the 30th Conference of Directors of Lands in the Federal and States Ministries,  Departments and Agencies,  Tuesday,  25th November,  2025.   " I strongly recommend and charge that Nigerian State Governments ring-fence between 1 and 3 percent of their annual budgets for land administration and systematic titling during the reform and scaling phase" he stated    The theme for the 30th Conference is Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP): Implementation Mission    Dangiwa explained that International evidence shows very clearly that Ministries responsible for land administration around the world operate on about one percent of the total public budget.    He said " based on these global benchmarks and our own national realities ... a sustainable allocation of 0.5 to 1 percent will be sufficient to maintain digital registries, continue systematic documentation, and keep the cadastre up to date"    The minister further stated that, half of the allocation must go directly to real service delivery- systematic titling, digitisation, modern registries, surveys and dispute-resolution-not vehicles, furniture or overheads.  " If we spend on impact, not overheads, every State will unlock revenue, citizens will gain secure property rights, and land will become a true economic asset, not dead capital. And let me say this confidently: the success of the Land4Growth Programme is Nigeria’s surest bet to achieving the One Trillion Dollar Economy" he remarked    Accordingly,  Dangiwa stated that, land becomes bankable, when citizens can use it for credit, when investors trust the registry, and when States earn sustainable revenue from property markets, saying that ' we will unlock growth on a scale that can transform our national economy. That is how land becomes wealth, and how this sector can power Nigeria’s economic future.” he stated.   The Minister further disclosed that the last World Bank Doing Business ranking on Registering Property, Nigeria performed poorly due to excessive procedures, long timelines, and high costs, this he said, creates uncertainty for investors and unnecessary hardship for citizens    He noted the identical challenges across the states as; complex manual workflows, fragmented and outdated paper records, corruption risks, tenure insecurity for vulnerable groups, and very low revenue collection despite huge potential.    He also told the participants that, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, land administration will be treated not as routine bureaucracy but as a strategic economic reform, adding that government had begun to translate the commitment into concrete action.  " I have directed the Director Lands to make sure every Director has a copy of the Concept Note and Framework. embrace it and properly guide your State Governments to adopt it and work with us at the Federal level to implement it" Dangiwa said  " We are not yet where we want to be, but we are certainly not where we were last year. We are moving - and we are moving with purpose.We have within this period introduced the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (Land4Growth) to unlock an estimated $300 billion in dead capital, and are finalizing a partnership with the World Bank and state governments to register, document, and title land nationwide" he concluded    Earlier in his opening remark, the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of  Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shaiub Belgore stated that the annual Conference of Directors of Lands has served as a key platform for professional exchange over the years   He said " As we mark the 30th edition, it is important that this gathering does not remain a yearly talk shop. The true value of this conference will not be measured in speeches, communiqués or photographs,  but in how the knowledge gained here is translated into practical reforms in your States" ...