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" ...

FG Hastens to Provide Better Office Accomodation for Federal Civil Servants in States   * We are enthusiastic, optimistic in providing affordable housing for  Nigerians - Belgore  The Permanent Secretary,  Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Belgore has stated that the federal government would hasten work to deliver the federal Secretariat,  Osogbo, Osun State to enable civil servants have better office accommodations to discharge their duties efficiently.    He spoke in Osogbo, Osun State when he led an inspection team from his ministry on a tour of federal government's projects ongoing in the state.   Dr Belgore noted that, work at the Osogbo Federal Secretariat, has reached an advanced stage of completion, saying that contracts for federal secretariats awarded same time with that of Osun were; Anambra, Bayelsa, Gombe, Nassarawa, and Zamfara states.     Expressing satisfaction with the quality and progress of work at Oshogbo, he assured the contractor that his request for variation would be secured to enable the release of funds needed for its completion.   Earlier, Engr Olakulehin Kabir, the project manager, Golden Construction Company Ltd, the contractors handling the work, told the team that the project has achieved 80 percent completion, and request the ministry to speed up approval for variation and release of funds to enable them deliver.   On the other hand, the Permanent Secretary has also observed appreaciable level of work in the ongoing work contruction of Osogbo Renewed Hope Estate, but charged the contractors to sit up and scale up work,  pomising facilitating their payments after meeting their valuation requirements    " Government is enthusiastic and optimistic with this project, and will not hesitate to review and take decision, including termination of contract for non performing contractiors "  he emphasised    The Permanent Secretary finally visited the ministry's field office in Osogbo, interacted with the staff, and commended them for their hardwork in facilitating delivery of government's projects in the State    He acknowledged their concern for inadequate professional staff which he explained as a general concern even at  the ministry headqarters.    Dr Belgore assured them that the ministry has made its operations easy interms of correspondences with the headquarters by going digital, saying that computers will be provided for field offices to ease their work  ...