Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Federal Government is set to unlock over $150 billion in dormant land capital to boost economic growth across the country through the National Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme, NLRDTP.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa announced the rollout at a Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Nigeria Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme in Lagos, themed “Moving from Inception to Implementation”.
The NLRDTP workshop organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the Lagos state government took place at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos
The Minister stressed that Nigeria’s current land administration system leaves less than 5% of land formally titled, leaving individuals to live on lands without secure proof of ownership, billions of naira in potential Internally Generated Revenue untapped for the State Governments, and estimated $300 billion in “dead capital” for the Federal Government.
He stated that the “Land4Growth” Programme is not just an administrative reform but a deliberate economic strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to turn land from a dormant asset into a productive engine for prosperity, for individuals, States, and the country as a whole.
“It is designed to replace our fragmented, opaque, and paper-based system with a digitised, transparent, and efficient national framework”, he explained.
Arc. Dangiwa informed that the programme aims to increase formal registration of land titles by at least 50% within 10 years; deploy standardised, interoperable Land Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems; Strengthen State land agencies and registries; unlock over $150 billion in “dead capital”, among others.
Some of the objectives of the “Land4Growth” programme according to the Minister includes securing land rights for individuals, communities, and businesses; unlocking land’s economic potential as a driver of credit, investment and housing delivery; increasing States’ IGR through vibrant, formal land markets and efficient property taxation, and more.
He emphasized that the initiative will be led by the states, supported federally and coordinated nationally, respecting the constitutional authority of State Governments over land as enshrined in the Land Use Act.
Speaking on the concerns of States the Minister spoke clearly that States would maintain full decision making power on land matters, with support from partners like the World Bank to ease financial pressure through funding, training and technical assistance.
He also noted that the model is flexible and can adapt to the laws of the states while benefiting from national standards and interoperability; as well as public enlightenment campaigns to improve the collection of approved Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os).
Dangiwa informed that the initial phase of the programme would focus on 18 to 20 reform-ready States, targeting the issuance of over 1 million digital titles and the training of more than 2,000 professionals
“This will be supported by Land Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems deployment, a National Land Information Repository, and a Harmonised Land Governance Structure to simplify processes, cut transaction times, and boost transparency”, he added.
On the benefits for citizens and states, the Minister noted that individuals would secure land titles that will improve access to credit, reduce disputes, and enhance property values, while For States, modernised records will boost internally generated revenue, attract investment, and enable better urban planning.
Accordingly, he said the programme would be a foundation for sustainable housing, infrastructure, agriculture, and economic growth, on the National level.
Dangiwa further pointed out that the workshop was a working session to align strategies, learn from successful models like Lagos’ e-GIS reforms, draw from international best practice, and agree on concrete steps nationwide.
Highlight of the workshop was the inauguration of the Joint Technical Committee on Land related matters between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Minister, Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
