In a bid to tackle the challenges hindering the growth of the housing sector, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has committed to removing obstacles, particularly the inefficient land administration system in the country.
At a meeting in Abuja with the Chairman of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms (PTCLR), Professor Peter O. Adeniyi, and its members, the Minister unveiled plans to revamp Nigeria’s land administration. This includes ensuring land availability, accessibility, efficient use, easy transferability, and convertibility.
Dangiwa expressed his support for the Committee’s commendable work and assured Prof. Adeniyi and other members of the Committee of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR’s commitment to pushing through the recommendations of the PTCLR. He further stated that the Ministry will review and integrate essential aspects of their work into its reform strategy for implementation.
To expedite this process, the Minister announced the establishment of an Internal Ministerial Committee tasked with meticulously studying the Committee’s submissions, with a subsequent meeting with the PTCLR scheduled within the next two weeks.
“I commended the team for the good work despite challenges and assured Prof. Adeniyi and other members that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has the political will to drive through their recommendations. As a Ministry, we will review and incorporate relevant aspects of their inputs into our land reform strategy towards implementing them for the good of the country. I have set up an Internal Ministerial Committee to study the Committee’s submissions and we will be meeting with them in the next two weeks,” he said.
The Minister emphasized the Ministry’s determination to eliminate barriers impeding the growth of the housing sector and national development, particularly the ineffective land administration system.
During the discussions, Prof. Adeniyi acknowledged the significant progress made by the Committee over the years, including the production of a Draft Land Use Act and Draft Regulations to cater to all aspects of the sector.
“The invitation hit me like a patient who receives, at the point of death, a life-saving oxygen. It is a truly “renewed hope for the realization of the PTCLR Slogan – Reform Land, Transform Nigeria”. We have over time tried to get the attention of critical stakeholders, government and policy leaders in the past to see that these regulations get the necessary backing, but unfortunately, nothing has come out of it,” he noted.
“So, you can imagine our excitement when we got the invitation from the Honourable Minister. We’ve not had such an opportunity before. Knowing the Minister and all that he did as Managing Director of FMBN, I know that he has great passion for this country and has the will to pursue any policy he puts his mind to. This is an opportunity for us to finally get the much-needed land reforms for the development of our country,” he said.
“The reason why our Systematic Land Titling and Administration (SLTA) framework, which has been adopted by states like Kaduna and Kano, is simply the lack of legal backing. So, you find that the system is only valid within the parameters of the state but is not binding outside of the state. With a commission, that can be resolved,” he added.
The PTCLR, comprising renowned experts on land reforms, was established in 2009 to address land governance challenges. It has produced comprehensive recommendations and blueprints aimed at transforming land administration in the country. These recommendations, once implemented, have the potential to significantly enhance land access and drive economic growth by unlocking an estimated $300 billion in dead capital.
The meeting marks a positive step for the Ministry, as it prioritizes land reforms to streamline land administration and make the process quicker and less costly for Nigerians.
