The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved a new, comprehensive reform on land administration in the nation’s capital.
The new policy, which Wike said, was targeted at more revenue for the FCT Administration, is expected to become effective from April 21.
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, the director, FCT Land Administration Department and Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication & Social Media, announced the minister’s approval of the new policy.
What you should know about the new policy
Under the new reform, the period within which to erect and complete developments on any land granted in the FCT is now two years from the date of the commencement of the Right of Occupancy (RofO).
This means that any land not developed within two years of receiving the R-of-O will be revoked.
The new reform also stipulates that land allottees now have 21 days from the date of offer, to make full payment of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed on offers of Statutory Rights of Occupancy and submit a duly completed letter of acceptance alongside evidence of payments, or lose the offer.
With this, any R-of-O bills and any other payments made outside the stipulated 21 days shall be considered invalid while any land granted should be developed within two years.
On lands previously allocated by area councils, the law stipulates that all lands in the FCT are urban land and it becomes necessary that all land documents issued by the area councils are considered for regularisation to statutory titles in line with relevant statutes.
The minister recalled that in 2006, the Zonal Land, Planning and Survey offices of the six area councils were directed to submit all area council allocation lists, layouts, files and registers to Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS)/Lands Department, and this was done by the area councils.
He said, ‘’However, to date, out of the 261,914 area council land documents submitted for regularisation, only 8,287 have been vetted, out of which only 2,358 were cleared, validated and regularized to statutory titles. The 8,287 were vetted from 2006 to 2023 (17 years), and this represents just 3.2% of the total land documents submitted for vetting and regularisation. As at today, the FCT Administration is still left with 253,627 submissions in its database.
‘’Area Council land documents successfully vetted and confirmed would have statutory titles on such lands issued and the allottees will have 60 days to make full payments of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed, failure of which the offers shall become invalid.’’
On Mass Housing, new reform recognizes the urgent need to issue titles to the beneficiaries of Mass Housing and Sectional Interests but such applications for titling are to be made by the subscribers/developers to the Department of Land Administration for processing.
The mass housing programme was initiated in 2000 to utilise the Public Private Partnership (PPP) strategy with the objective of providing affordable housing for residents of the FCT.
But the minister said from the inception of the mass housing programme in 2000 till date, out of the 445 mass housing allocations granted, only two developers have successfully met the terms and conditions.
He said processing of titles for mass housing and sectional interests will commence on April 21, 2025, in line with the new operational framework.
What you must do to protect your properties
According to a housing expert, Ikeoluwa Imam, any title owner with the FCT R-of-O, should first check the status of the grant rent charges on it with the Abuja Information Geographic System (AGIS) and make payment accordingly.
He said after such payment, no one has the right to revoke such lands, except for the utmost public interest, which in that case, the owners will be adequately compensated and provided with alternative.
“If you are holding an area council title, first go and check with the AGIS if the title has been regularised. If it has been, then proceed to find out the accumulated charges on it and make payment accordingly.
According to him, in the event that the land is not regularised, the owner will have to wait for the fresh regularisation window just announced by the FCT Administration.
Imam, who is a town planner, also advised those having properties with estate developers to approach the FCT lands department to apply for their R-of-Os on their behalf.
The town planner also warned the minister against unnecessary seizure of people’s property in the name of reforms or revenue generation, reminding him of the current economic crisis.
“The minister should not hide under new reform or revenue generation to target people’s properties. One thing he should remember is that nothing lasts forever and his actions will be subjected for review by another minister,’’ he said.
