Kaduna State Selected as Pilot for National Land Titling Programme
Kaduna State has been named a pioneer participant in the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP), a federal initiative supported by the World Bank aimed at overhauling the country’s land administration system. The state’s selection follows significant upgrades to its digital land management framework.
The announcement was made by Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the World Bank. Dr. Balarabe credited Governor Uba Sani’s administration for transforming the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), which positioned the state as a model for others. While acknowledging substantial progress in digitising land processes, she noted that additional support is needed to accelerate reforms and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to collaborating with federal and World Bank partners for the programme’s success.
Dr. Bashir Garba Ibrahim, Director-General of KADGIS, detailed the state’s innovative revenue and administrative reforms. He highlighted the introduction of Sectional Titling—a practice previously limited to the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State—alongside Shop Registration and a Farm Lease Programme. Furthermore, KADGIS is regularising over 100 previously undocumented layouts to enable formal property registration.
Dr. Ibrahim specified critical needs for the programme’s seamless implementation. These include procuring a more robust land administration software to handle increased customer volume and activity, and establishing an online feedback mechanism. Such a system would allow citizens to access bills, make payments, and download receipts remotely, reducing physical visits to KADGIS. The agency has also established a dedicated unit to process federal land titles, a move intended to eliminate conflicting ownership claims.
The visiting delegation, led by the Director of Lands and Urban Development Mr. Alabi Collins, confirmed the World Bank’s support for the NLTRDP. He explained that the programme’s core objective is to reform Nigeria’s land governance by promoting efficient, transparent titling and registration. The ultimate goal is to unlock the economic value of land assets for government, businesses, and individuals through improved documentation and security of tenure.
Kaduna’s role as a pilot state underscores its emerging leadership in land administration innovation. The partnership with the World Bank and federal government signals a strategic push to scale up these reforms nationally, with potential implications for economic development, investment, and fiscal sustainability across Nigeria’s sub-national entities.
