THE Nigeria Land Use Act of 1978 has again come under attack as the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, called for its comprehensive review.
Describing the 48-year-old land law as “obsolete and outdated” the vice president said that the Federal Government has commenced work on the review of the Land Use Act to make it conform with current realities.
Speaking at a three-day National Land Conference with the theme: ‘Reforming Land Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and Johnbull Amayaevbo Foundation, Shettima said that government was also working to establish a sustainable land administration system in the country.
Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the vice president said the Land Use Act enacted in 1978 has been the legal and policy framework for land ownership, management, and administration in Nigeria.
While the Act has significantly shaped land administration and management in Nigeria, Shettima said that it has also contributed to systemic challenges that must now be addressed immediately.
He said: “The time has come for a thorough reassessment of Act to identify necessary amendments and ensure its relevance in the evolving socio-economic landscape.
Shettima said the government has inaugurated four reform task teams to develop a strategic blueprint for implementing reforms aimed at streamlining land administration and ensuring easy, cost-effective, and efficient access to land in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, commended the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP) of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize mortgage accessibility and financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Speaking at a workshop in Abuja, Osidi described the initiative, spearheaded by Minister Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, in collaboration with the World Bank, as a critical step toward bolstering confidence in the real estate sector and enhancing housing finance activities
“A well-structured and digitized land administration system will reduce transaction costs, improve transparency, enhance credit security, and stimulate housing finance,” Osidi stated.
He highlighted the programme’s significance in streamlining title registrations, which would directly impact FMBN’s ability to deliver affordable housing solutions
“Efficient land registration and documentation are crucial to mortgage accessibility and financial inclusion, and FMBN remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance these processes,” he added.
He revealed that in alignment with the NLRDP, FMBN had initiated the development of the National Mortgage Registry (NMR), with a digital platform—the NMR App—currently undergoing testing.
He described the NMR as a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to simplify property transactions and advance the housing and urban development sector.
Osidi cited a recent collaboration between the Bank and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) aimed at improving land administration efficiency.
The minister, Arc. Dangiwa outlined plans to introduce a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) to centralize and digitize land records, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and curb corruption in land transactions.
He noted that experts estimate Nigeria’s untapped real estate capital at over $300 billion, and the ministry aims to increase formalized land transactions from less than 10 percent to over 50 percent within a decade.
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