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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has pointed out that more than 90 percent of land in Nigeria is not registered, resulting in an estimated $300 billion in economic losses due to difficulties in land registration.
While addressing the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP) Workshop in Abuja, Dangiwa underscored the slow, complicated, and expensive character of Nigeria’s land registration system, which has remained predominantly sporadic and non-mandatory since it began in 1883.
He stressed that without proper documentation, landowners are unable to take advantage of their properties for economic benefits, which restricts their access to credit and investment.
Additionally, the absence of an organized framework for land ownership, bureaucratic hurdles, and outdated regulations like the Land Use Act of 1978 have exacerbated the issue.
“This process has been slow, complicated, unclear, and costly for the average landowner. It is understandable that fewer than 10 percent of the total land in the country has been registered over the span of 140 years,’’ he remarked.
He noted that this has made it impractical for landowners to utilize their assets for economic purposes.
Dangiwa stated: “Nigeria has encountered persistent issues in land governance, such as the lack of a systematic, reliable, and undisputed framework for identifying property ownership, interests, and locations.
The inefficient and cumbersome property registration system has led to less than 10 percent of land in Nigeria being registered within the existing sporadic system. Other challenges comprise the lack of authoritative data to aid effective land management, restricted access to available land records, and the continued existence of the Land Use Act of 1978 (now Cap 2004).”
To tackle these concerns, he mentioned that the government intends to establish a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) to modernize, centralize, and digitize land records, thereby decreasing bureaucracy and corruption. The objective is to raise formal land registration from below 10 percent to over 50 percent within the next ten years.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Aminu Tambuwal, reaffirmed the Senate’s dedication to legislative reforms aimed at enhancing land administration, boosting transparency, and ensuring sustainable funding.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, Ademorin Kuye, pointed out that land without documentation cannot be used as collateral for loans or investments, hindering economic progress. He emphasized that poor land governance has resulted in illegal encroachments, deforestation, and agricultural inefficiencies, while unclear land titles have led to ongoing litigation and diminished investor confidence.
The World Bank’s Country Director, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, through his representative, Michael Ilesanmi, reiterated the bank’s endorsement, asserting that reforms in land registration are vital for poverty alleviation and economic development.
