To foster sustainable urban development, boost investor confidence, and ensure that property owners in the FCT have secure and legally recognised land titles, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved key reforms in land administration in the FCT, effective Monday, 21 April 2025.
The Director, Land Administration, FCTA, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, made this revelation during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, 11 April 2025.
The reforms, according to him, encompass critical aspects of land administration in the FCT, including the conditions for granting Statutory Rights of Occupancy, the content of these titles and Letters of Acceptance, the titling of Mass Housing and the regularisation of land documents issued by Area Councils.
Explaining the reforms, the director of land revealed that a strict and non-extendable payment deadline of 21 days has been introduced for land allottees to make full payment of all prescribed bills, fees, rents and charges for statutory rights of occupancy. Additionally, a duly completed Letter of Acceptance and evidence of payment must be submitted within this timeframe, failing which the offer shall be withdrawn. Any payments made after the 21-day period, he said, will be considered invalid.
Additionally, a defined timeframe of two years has also been introduced for allottees to develop their land in the FCT, commencing from the date of the Statutory Right of Occupancy. The move, the director said, is aimed at addressing revenue delays for the FCTA, encouraging infrastructure development and reducing land speculation and racketeering in the FCT, among others.
On the regularisation of area council land documents, the director said allottees with successfully vetted and confirmed area council land documents will be granted 60 days to make full payment of all prescribed bills, fees, rents, and charges to receive statutory titles, in line with the provision of the law. Failure to comply within this period will render the offers invalid, he said.
The director recalled that the FCT administration, in a bid to ensure that all land allocated by the FCT area councils are regularised, as provided by the law, directed the Zonal Land, Planning and Survey offices of the six area councils to submit all area council allocation lists, layout, files and registers to the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS)/Lands Department which was done by the area councils.
According to him, while the FCT Area Councils submitted 261,914 land documents for regularisation between 2006 and 2023, only a mere 3.2 per cent amounting to 8,287 were vetted, with just 2,358 regularised.
On the issuance of titles to mass housing projects and sectional interests, the director said holders and occupiers of properties within Mass Housing Estates in the FCT will now have a clear pathway to obtain their titles. He said subscribers and developers are required to submit applications for titling to the Department of Land Administration for processing, commencing on 21 April 2025.
According to him, “In recognition of the urgent need to issue titles to the beneficiaries of Mass Housing and Sectional Interests, all applications for titling are to be made by the Subscribers/Developers to the Department of Land Administration for processing. Processing of titles for Mass Housing and Sectional Interests shall commence on April 21, 2025, in line with the new operational framework.”
He expressed confidence that these significant reforms will streamline processes, enhance revenue generation, curb land speculation, and ensure timely development of allocated lands, as well as provide titles to beneficiaries of mass housing schemes and regularise area council land allocations.
ANTHONY OGUNLEYE
DIRECTOR OF PRESS
(OFFICE OF THE HON. MINISTER)
