Federal Government Issues 60-Day Ultimatum to C of O Title Owners Over Outstanding Debts

The federal government, on Wednesday, handed down a 60-day notice to all federal Certificates-of-Occupancy title owners in Nigeria to either pay up their outstanding debts or face full revocation of their land documents.

Speaking at the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Abuja, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, stated that the persistent failure of the concerned persons to comply had resulted in the loss of trillions of naira in revenue to the federal government.

At the opening ceremony of the two-day programme, Dangiwa stated that the government had also observed the activities of various residents’ associations of federal government landed properties that were preventing ministry staff from accessing the estates for billing purposes and enforcement of non-payments.

The conference was themed, “Equitable Land Stewardship: Challenges of Land Administration and its Impact on Climate Change and Community Rights.”

The conference brought together experts, policymakers, and community representatives.

Dangiwa said, “I want to use this occasion to address pertinent issues that are hampering the ability of government to maximise the revenue earning potential of its landed assets. The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is aware that several owners of its titled properties have failed to pay ground rent and other statutory charges to the ministry for several years now.

“This non-compliance has resulted in the loss of trillions of naira in revenue to the federal government. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, this cannot be tolerated, as this revenue is much needed to deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda to Nigerians.

“As such, all federal C of O title owners are hereby given a 60-day notice to settle all outstanding ground rent and statutory charges. Failure to make payment within this period will result in the revocation of their C of Os.”

The minister warned residents associations to comply with the terms and conditions outlined in their respective C of Os, threatening that failure to adhere to the requirements will attract appropriate penalties and sanctions.

He listed some challenges in land administration in Nigeria as complexity of Nigeria’s land laws, particularly the Land Use Act of 1978, which he said continued to pose significant challenges.

Besides, Dangiwa mentioned the lengthy, expensive and complicated land titling and registration processes, which he said was discouraging many Nigerians from formalising land ownership.

He also highlighted the lack of formal land titles, which prevented landowners from accessing credit and leveraging their land as a financial asset, particularly in rural areas.

Dangiwa emphasised the clash between formal legal structures and customary land tenure systems, especially in rural areas, which created uncertainty and hindered land transactions.

Others, he said, included limited access to land information; conflicting land laws and policies; inefficient dispute resolution mechanisms; corruption and land grabbing; as well as non-compliance with statutory obligations regarding government-owned land assets.

According to him, the inefficient and slow mechanisms for resolving land disputes, leading to prolonged conflicts that delay development, also remain a key challenge in the sector.

Dangiwa said the ministry was prioritising land governance issues and had taken significant steps, including ensuring the establishment of a new regime of revised rates for crops and economic trees that was fair, equitable, and provided adequate compensation to persons affected by government projects.

He added that the ministry was partnering with the World Bank to address Nigeria’s longstanding land registration challenges, with over 90 per cent of the land in the country still unregistered, leading to an estimated $300 billion in dead capital.

“Let me state that we are still in a state of emergency regarding our level of land administration. It is, in fact, a national economic, security, and social development risk. We must understand this and resolve to act with the urgency that is required,” he noted.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, observed that equitable land stewardship called for a balanced approach to land management that took into account not only economic development, but also environmental protection and social justice.

“As Africa confronts the realities of climate change ranging from desertification in the Sahel to rising sea levels in coastal regions, our land administration systems must evolve to support climate resilience,” Ogunbiyi stressed.

Director, Lands and Housing Development Department in the ministry, Collins Alabi, said as a precious resource, land required careful management and equitable distribution.

Emmanuel Addeh and Aminat Hassan

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