Edo govt registers over 9,000 certificates of occupancy in three months

The Edo State Government said it had registered over 9,000 Certificates of Occupancy (CoOs) between February and April 17, 2025.

Disclosing this in Benin while hosting the executives of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Managing Director of the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS), Dr. Tony Ikpasaja, said the feat was achieved despite challenges faced by the agency.

Ikpasaja identified the greatest of these challenges as the shutdown of the agency’s system by the consultant engaged by the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki to run its operations.

The new EdoGIS boss, who was appointed by Governor Okpebholo in January 2025, said the milestone was achieved using new software—compared to only 1,000 CoOs registered by the previous government between 2023 and February 2025.

He added that the agency had also acquired more sophisticated equipment to improve productivity and ensure that applications for Certificates of Occupancy were processed efficiently and seamlessly.

He further revealed that the agency, under his leadership, inherited over 7,500 unattended files left behind by the previous management.

These files, he noted, belonged to applicants seeking to have their lands registered and included in the EdoGIS database.

Ikpasaja, however, assured applicants that their Certificate of Occupancy files would be processed and captured in the system. He also advised land and property owners to legalize their assets.

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“As of today, I can boldly tell you that we have captured and processed over 9,000 Certificate of Occupancy files. We have also been signing and issuing the certificates.

“Over 9,000 CoOs have been registered from February 2025 to date using the new software, compared to just 1,000 recorded from 2023 to February 2025.

“When I assumed office, I met about 7,500 files of applicants that had not been attended to. It is disheartening that people would pay for registration and their files would just be abandoned,” he lamented.

Ikpasaja assured: “Within the next few weeks or months, we will clear the pending applications and issue Certificates of Occupancy to deserving Nigerians and Edo residents.

“I also want to assure those who have applied that, as long as their certificate is in our system and being processed, their land is secure. Our system ensures that no one else can process that same land.”

He noted that the restructuring carried out under his leadership marked a total departure from previous practices, with staff now operating according to international best standards.

“What we have in place today does not allow for files to be left idle, because we are now working according to World Bank standards, which reflect international best practices,” he said.

He added that to ensure all landowners are carried along in the administration of land matters, the agency had opened offices in Auchi and Ekpoma.

According to him, this development aims to bring the agency’s operations closer to the grassroots.