Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the Federal Government was working on a review of the Land Use Act to make it conform with current global realities.
He spoke at a three-day National Land Conference with the theme: ‘Reforming Land Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and Johnbull Amayaevbo Foundation.
The Vice President said the government was also working to establish a sustainable land administration system.
Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Vice President said the Land Use Act enacted in 1978 has been the legal and policy framework for land ownership, management, and administration in Nigeria.
He, however, said while the Act has significantly shaped land administration and management in Nigeria, it has also contributed to systemic challenges that must now be addressed immediately.
He said: “The Act, now 48 years old, is undeniably due for review and reform. The time has therefore come for a thorough reassessment to identify necessary amendments and ensure its relevance in the evolving socio-economic landscape.
“Analysts have criticised the Land Use Act as an impediment to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, underscoring the need for a comprehensive review to realign its policies with the goals of sustainable growth, equities and efficiency.”
Shettima said the government has inaugurated four reform task teams to develop a strategic blueprint for implementing reforms aimed at streamlining land administration and ensuring easy, cost-effective, and efficient access to land in Nigeria.
Already, Shettima’s push to implement reforms to streamline land administration in Nigeria has received the backing of the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi.
The FMBN boss commended the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP) of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize mortgage accessibility and financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Ministry at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Osidi described the initiative, spearheaded by Minister Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, in collaboration with the World Bank, as a critical step toward bolstering confidence in the real estate sector and enhancing housing finance activities.
“A well-structured and digitized land administration system will reduce transaction costs, improve transparency, enhance credit security, and stimulate housing finance,” Osidi stated.
He highlighted the programme’s significance in streamlining title registrations, which would directly impact FMBN’s ability to deliver affordable housing solutions.
“Efficient land registration and documentation are crucial to mortgage accessibility and financial inclusion, and FMBN remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance these processes,” he added.
Osidi also revealed that in alignment with the NLRDP, FMBN had initiated the development of the National Mortgage Registry (NMR), with a digital platform—the NMR App—currently undergoing testing.
He described the NMR as a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to simplify property transactions and advance the housing and urban development sector.
Osidi cited a recent collaboration between the Bank and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) aimed at improving land administration efficiency.
He lauded the Housing Ministry’s efforts in organising the workshop and expressed optimism that the NLRDP’s successful implementation would reduce litigation cases, enhance investor confidence, and establish a robust framework for land management in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Minister Dangiwa outlined plans to introduce a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) to centralize and digitize land records, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and curb corruption in land transactions.
He noted that experts estimate Nigeria’s untapped real estate capital at over $300 billion, and the Ministry aims to increase formalized land transactions from less than 10 per cent to over 50 per cent within a decade.
