Kwara digitises 19,591 land records in one year

Kwara State Government has digitised a total number of 19,591 land records since Monday, October 20, 2025 when it commenced reforms on land. 

Speaking at a one-day Ease of Doing Business Council EoDB investment summit in Ilorin on Thursday, the Executive Chairman, Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), ESV. Sulyman Babatunde Abdulkareem, said that the digitisation was carried out to improve accessibility and records management. 

“KWGIS was established following the 2020 GIS law, bringing together key functions relating to lands, surveying, physical planning and urban and regional planning within a more integrated institutional framework”. 

Abdulkareem, who said that the land reforms have reduced administrative bottlenecks, added that, “Before the reforms, the process of securing land documentation could involve several stages, physical movement of files, manual searches and administrative delays.

“Today, our target is fundamentally different. KWGIS now provides digital access to land-related services, including online applications, downloadable forms, C of O processes, recertification, land registration, subsequent transactions and other services. That is Ease of Doing Business in practical terms”, he said.

Speaking on the reduction in the average processing time for Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), he said that, “before now, application processing time for CofO was about 180 days; however, application processing has been streamlined, with the current processing time reduced to 35 days”.

On the number of land applications processed, he said that about 14,840 applications were processed before the reform, while 2,538 applications have been processed after the reform.

Also speaking on the theme, “From Reforms to Results: Positioning Kwara as Nigeria’s Investment Destination”, the chairman of the Kwara State EoDB council and Finance commissioner, Dr. Hauwa Nuhu, said that the summit was organized to bring together government, investors, development partners and the private sector—”not merely to discuss opportunities, but to build partnerships and turn opportunities into investments”

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Dr Nuhu, who said that the government can only create an environment to thrive, added that it is private investment that creates industries, generates jobs, drives innovation and builds sustainable prosperity.

The EoDB council chairman said that Kwara is open for business, adding that, “more importantly— Kwara is ready for partnership”.

“We understand that investors need more than invitations. They need credible institutions, transparent processes, policy consistency, infrastructure and a government that treats the private sector as a partner. 

“This is the commitment of the Kwara State Government. We do not claim that our journey is complete. But we are clear about our direction, committed to continuous improvement and determined to remove the barriers that stand between investment and opportunity.

“Our responsibility as the Ease of Doing Business Council is to ensure that reforms do not remain policies on paper. They must be felt by businesses. They must reduce delays. They must simplify processes. And ultimately, they must produce results”, she said.

“That is why the Ease of Doing Business agenda is not merely about improving government procedures. It is about creating confidence. Confidence to invest. 

Confidence to expand. And confidence to succeed. Through institutional reforms, investment facilitation, public-private partnerships, digitalisation and improvements in the business environment, Kwara is steadily building a stronger foundation for enterprise”.

Nuhu said that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has worked to create a more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly business environment, adding that the state is moving from ambition to action. 

“Kwara’s greatest advantage is not just what we have. It is where we are. Situated strategically at the crossroads of Northern and Southern Nigeria, Kwara provides investors with access to major national markets and emerging regional opportunities. 

“For manufacturers, agribusinesses, logistics companies and service providers, Kwara offers something increasingly valuable: A strategic location from which businesses can produce, process, distribute and grow. But location alone does not create prosperity. 

“That is why our administration is investing in the foundations that investors need—roads, industrial infrastructure, healthcare, education, technology and a more efficient public sector. 

“Across agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, solid minerals, logistics, renewable energy, healthcare, education, hospitality, real estate, technology and the creative economy, Kwara offers opportunities for investors seeking long-term growth and sustainable returns”.