HIGHLIGHTS ON THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF NIGERIA 
 

Background and Purpose
 

•    Initiated in 1987 by the defunct National Council of Works and Housing; workshops in 1989 (ASCON, Badagry) and 1990 (Ijebu-Ode) shaped the first draft.
 

•    Formally re-presented at the 2nd National Council on Housing and Urban Development (2005), leading to the 2006 edition.
 

•    The Code was developed to address poor planning of cities, incessant building collapse, fire disasters, quackery, use of substandard materials, and weak regulation.
 

•    Aim: Establish minimum standards for pre-design, design, construction, and post-construction stages of buildings to ensure safety, quality, and professionalism.
 

Structure of the Code
 

1.    Part I – Administration
 

o    Sets out definitions, scope, and applicability of the Code.
 

o    Establishes the Building Code Advisory Committee (BCAC), under the Minister of Housing & Urban Development, responsible for periodic review and oversight.
 

o    Provides clear interpretations, definitions, and abbreviations of building terms.
 

2.    Part II – Technical (Professionals)
 

o    Building Design Classifications: Categorizes buildings into Use Groups A–L, e.g. Assembly, Business, Educational, Industrial, High Hazard, Institutional, Mercantile, Residential, Storage, Mixed Use, Utility.
 

o    Building Construction Classifications: Provides technical standards for fire safety, structural integrity, materials, and occupancy.
 

o    Defines responsibilities of registered professionals (Architects, Engineers, Builders, Surveyors, etc.) in all stages.
 

3.    Part III – Enforcement
 

o    Divides the building process into four regulated stages:
 

    Pre-Design Stage – planning, approvals, environmental and safety assessments.
 

    Design Stage – adherence to professional standards and safety codes.
 

    Construction Stage – site supervision, materials quality control, and health & safety compliance.
 

    Post-Construction Stage – building use certification, maintenance standards, and inspections.
 

o    Establishes the role of the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO).
 

4.    Part IV – Schedules and References
 

o    Provides supporting documents, data, tables, and approved forms linked to the Code.
 

o    Incorporates referenced standards such as National Fire Safety Code and others.

Key Provisions
 

•    Minimum Standards: All buildings must comply with minimum requirements for safety, durability, and habitability.
 

•    Certification: No building can be occupied without a Certificate of Use and Habitation issued by enforcement officers.
 

•    Fire Safety: Detailed fire hazard classifications and preventive standards.
 

•    Accessibility: Public buildings must make provisions for the physically challenged.
 

•    Zoning & Planning: Integrates urban and regional planning laws, requiring development permits and compliance with zoning regulations.
 

•    Professional Accountability: Only registered professionals may prepare, design, and execute building works.
 

•    Prohibition of Quackery: Prevents use of non-professionals and untested materials.
 

•    Maintenance: Every building must have a Building Maintenance Manual.
 

•    Enforcement: State governments are encouraged to adopt the Code into their laws for effective local implementation.

Significance
 

•    Provides a national benchmark for building standards in Nigeria.
 

•    Aims to reduce building collapse, fire outbreaks, and disasters.
 

•    Encourages professionalism, quality assurance, and compliance across the industry.
 

•    Promotes safety, accessibility, and sustainable urban development.

The statement from the Hon. Minister of State For Housing & Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi.

It is with profound sadness that I, Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, mourning the passing of Former President, late Muhammadu Buhari. 

He departed this life on Sunday, June 13, 2024, at a hospital in London.

As we bid farewell to a leader who served Nigeria with dedication, I extend my deepest condolences to the Buhari family, the government, and the people of Nigeria. 

May Allah grant late President Buhari Aljannah Firdaus and grant the family patience and fortitude during this difficult time.

As a nation, we reflect on President Buhari's service and contributions to our country's development. 

May Allah grant us the strength to carry on his legacy of public service and patriotism and grant President Buhari's soul eternal rest. Amen.

The Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, 

July 13th, 2025.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ARC. AHMED MUSA DANGIWA, AT THE WORKSHOP ON THE NATIONAL LAND REGISTRATION AND DOCUMENTATION PROGRAMME (NLRDP), TRANSCORP HILTON, ABUJA, ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2025

Protocols

1.    Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to the World Bank for their steadfast support in advancing the land administration reforms championed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Your commitment of time, resources, technical expertise, and knowledge has been invaluable in driving the transformative agenda of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. We deeply appreciate your partnership and shared vision to create a historic impact in this sector.  

2.    I would also like to acknowledge the innovative efforts of several State Governments. Many of you have taken commendable steps to improve land management and governance within your jurisdictions. Your willingness to collaborate with the Federal Government, through the Ministry and our partners like the World Bank, demonstrates a shared commitment to addressing the critical challenges in land governance. As a federation with distinct jurisdictions, we must work together to bring order and efficiency to the land sector. Working in silos will not yield the results we all desire.  

3.    Now, as many of you know, Nigeria has faced longstanding challenges in land governance. These include:  
•    The lack of a systematic, credible, and uncontested framework to identify property ownership, interests, and locations.  
•    The cumbersome and inefficient property registration process, which has resulted in less than 10% of land in Nigeria being registered under the current sporadic system.  
•    The absence of authoritative data to support effective land administration.  
•    Limited access to available land records.  
•    The existence of the Land Use Act of 1978 (now Cap 2004) without the necessary regulations to facilitate its implementation.  
•    The absence of a national institution to advise the Council of State, which is constitutionally empowered to make regulations for the Act.  
•    Inadequate data and information for effective land valuation in both urban and rural areas; and  
•    The lack of essential infrastructure, such as geodetic stations, land use maps, township plans, and functional land registries.  

4.    Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, today’s workshop marks a significant step in the current administration’s efforts to implement long-overdue reforms. These reforms are essential to unlocking the immense potential of Nigeria’s landed assets for economic growth, wealth creation, poverty reduction, capital accumulation, and national development through the National Land Registration, Documentation, and Titling Programme.  

5.    Let me emphasize why this initiative is so important. Over 90% of land in Nigeria is unregistered and untitled, making it impossible for landowners to leverage their assets for economic purposes. Experts estimate that this has resulted in a dead capital exceeding $300 billion. Addressing this issue is not just about administrative efficiency; it is a critical step toward economic transformation.  

6.    In 2024, the Ministry conceived and developed the framework for this Programme, with the primary objective of partnering with State Governments to achieve specific goals. 

7.    First, we aim to register, document, and title all land parcels to unlock Nigeria’s dead capital, empowering landowners to utilize their assets for economic growth. For the Federal Government, this will increase revenue through land taxes, registration fees, and titling charges, while also enhancing economic growth by enabling landowners to use land as collateral for loans and investments. For State Governments, it will improve land governance and transparency, attract investments, and increase internally generated revenue (IGR) through land-related transactions.  

8.    Second, we plan to develop and launch a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) to modernize land administration. This system will centralize and digitize land records, reducing bureaucracy and corruption in land transactions. For the Federal Government, it will improve efficiency, enabling faster processing of land titles and registrations, while for State Governments, it will streamline processes, reduce delays, and improve access to accurate and up-to-date land information.  

9.    Third, we seek to increase the formalization of land transactions from less than 10% to over 50% in the next 10 years. This will expand the formal economy, enhance the capacity to track and regulate land markets, and improve access to credit for citizens and businesses. For State Governments, it will increase revenue from formal land transactions, improve land market efficiency, and empower marginalized groups, such as women and youth, through formal land ownership.  

10.    Fourth, we will train and deploy technically competent land registration officers nationwide. This will standardize land administration processes, reduce dependency on external consultants, and improve public service delivery. For State Governments, it will create a skilled workforce capable of handling complex land registration and titling processes, ensure faster and more efficient service delivery, and strengthen collaboration with federal agencies.  

11.    Let me be clear: this initiative respects the jurisdictional independence of State Governments. 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.  

12.    To achieve these objectives, the Ministry in 2024 solicited and secured the World Bank’s collaboration on the project. Today’s event marks the culmination of a series of engagements between the Ministry and the World Bank, the most recent of which is Technical mission to Nigeria in November last year, which included visits to states such as Kano and Lagos.  

13.    Partnering with the World Bank gives us access to technical capacity, global best practices, proven technologies, and financial resources. Their extensive experience in supporting similar initiatives worldwide positions us to address the unique challenges of Nigeria’s land governance. 

14.    The World Bank’s recent technical mission provided invaluable insights into the current state of land administration in Nigeria. The findings and recommendations from this mission will serve as the foundation for the discussions and action plans emerging from this workshop.  

15.    One of the key topics we will discuss today is the implementation of Systematic Land Titling and Registration (SLTR). 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% of the entire land in our country is registered in 140 years. 

16.    As we discuss it is important for us to reference the work of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms (PTCLR) that was set up in 2009 so we can build upon the exhaustive and comprehensive work that they have already done. I want to believe that the PTCLR have done one of the most extensive and well researched work on effective land administration in our country. There is no need re-inventing the wheel. In search of best practices and the most practical, viable, and credible  way of achieving rapid and transparent titling and registration in Nigeria, the PTCLR adopted the Systematic Land Titling and Registration (STLR). The SLTR allows a systematic identification, demarcation and adjudication of every aspect of land within a jurisdiction in the presence and concurrence of the adjoining parcel owners. I believe that there is industry wide and global acceptance that it is the best and most proven method for titling with adoption by several states already. 

17.    Experience show that our work must go beyond implementing STLR. There is the need for us to legitimize Systematic Land Titling and Registration under the framework of the Land Use Act (LUA). From our engagements with the PTCLR, they noted that there were challenges after the STLR was introduced. Through their intervention, it was resolved that legitimizing SLTR in Nigeria, under the legal framework of the Land Use Act requires regulations. 

18.    I understand that the PTCLR developed eleven regulations which included Systematic Land Titling and Registration. The regulations has provisions to declare an area as SLTR Area; defined powers and duties of SLTR Officers amongst others. 

19.    I also understand that the the draft resolutions were subjected to a 2-day workshop in 2013 in Abuja that was co-sponsored by the World Bank and GEMS3 with participation from all stakeholders. 

20.    The PTCLR briefed me that in fact four of the regulations including Systematic Land Titling and Regulation were presented to the National Economic Council (NEC) and endorsed in May 2017. These are pending presentation to the Council of State for enactment as stipulated in Section 46 (1) of the Land Use Act. 

21.    So, the issue of adoption and utilization of STLR is already a concluded issue. I believe, what remains now is to have the National Council of State to approve it. 

22.    Another critical area of discussion will be the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and digital tools in modernizing land administration. These technologies have the potential to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in land registration. We must explore how to integrate these tools effectively into our systems to ensure a modern, accessible, and user-friendly land registration process.  

23.    Additionally, we will examine the role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in land registration. Digitized land administration presents significant investment opportunities, and we must identify successful PPP models that can be adapted to the Nigerian context. Collaboration between the public and private sectors will be essential to mobilizing the resources and expertise required for the NLRDP.  

24.    Traditional and community leaders also play a vital role in land governance and dispute resolution. We must develop strategies to integrate customary land tenure into formal registration systems and reduce land disputes. Their involvement will ensure that the NLRDP is inclusive and respects the rights of all Nigerians.  

25.    As leaders, our mandate is to solve problems. The current state of land administration in Nigeria, with less than 10% of land registered and titled, is unacceptable. Similarly, the low livability of our urban centers is a pressing concern. However, I view these challenges as opportunities to make a lasting impact. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, the Ministry is committed to driving this transformation. With the support of the World Bank, we are on the cusp of making history in Nigeria.  

26.    Before I conclude, let me reassure the State Governments, our partner the World Bank and all stakeholders that we have a President with the political will to drive this agenda. He recognizes the critical role of land administration in economic development, the importance of building livable cities, and the transformative potential of housing development.  

27.    At the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, we are fully aware of the gaps in housing and urban development and are committed to addressing them decisively.  

28.    I wish us all productive deliberations and look forward to the outcomes of this workshop.  

29.    Thank you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  

OPENING REMARKS BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DR. SHUAIB M.L. BELGORE, NPOM, OON AT THE NATIONAL LANDS REGISTRATION AND DOCUMENTATION PROGRAMME HELD ON 19TH MARCH 2025, AT TRANSCORP HILTON HOTEL, ABUJA 

PROTOCOLS 

1.0    I am honoured to make opening remarks at this pivotal National Lands Registration and Documentation Programme. This gathering is a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s land administration system, a crucial factor in promoting economic growth, social stability, and national development. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all our distinguished guests and stakeholders who have taken the time to be here today. 

2.0   The Theme of this programme speaks directly to one of the most pressing challenges in Nigeria’s housing and urban development sector—Land Registration and Documentation more especially, Sub-Saharan African Countries. As we are all aware, land ownership and security of tenure remains fundamental to sustainable urban development, real estate investment, agricultural productivity, and infrastructure development. 

3.0   The National Lands Registration and Documentation Programme is a response to these longstanding challenges. This initiative, spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, seeks to advocate for the modernization and streamlining of land registration processes across the country by harmonizing land records, digitizing documentation systems, and enhancing accessibility to land information.

 The key objectives of this programme include: 

i. Ensuring a unified and efficient Land Registration System by working closely with State Governments and Land Actors and Agencies with the view of creating a standardized approach that will reduce duplication, inconsistencies, and bureaucratic bottlenecks. 

ii. Leveraging Technology for land digitization which aims at the transition from manual to digital land records that improves data security, minimize fraudulent activities, and facilitate ease of doing business in the real estate and mortgage sectors in line with global best practices. 

iii. Providing legal certainty and security of tenure to attain proper land documentation. Landowners will have the assurance of legal protection, thereby fostering confidence in land transactions. 

iv. Enhancing investment opportunities in a well-structured land registration system that will unlock potential of land assets, enabling access to credit facilities and boosting investments in housing, agriculture, and infrastructure.

v. Reducing Land Disputes and Promoting Social Stability in a clear, well-documented land titles system to reduce land-related conflicts that have hindered development and economic prosperity in many communities.

 4.0   I am using this medium to laud the significant initiative of the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in driving this process. I will also use this opportunity to thank the State Governments, the World Bank, Organizers of this programme and all collaborating institutions for their commitment to addressing this critical issue. The road ahead may be challenging, but with collective efforts, strategic planning, and sustained commitment, we can establish a land registration system we can be proud of. 

5.0  Once again, I warmly welcome you all and look forward to a productive and insightful engagement. 

Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.