The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has said the Federal Government will unlock over 150 billion dollars in dormant land capital nationwide to boost economic growth.
Ahmed made this known in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, in Abuja on Thursday.
Dangiwa made the announcement at a Stakeholders’ Workshop on “The Nigeria Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme” (NLRDTP) in Lagos, themed “Moving from Inception to Implementation”.
According to the minister, the government will unlock the dormant land nationwide through the National Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme.
He explained that Nigeria’s current land administration system left less than five per cent of land formally titled, thereby making individuals live on lands without secure proof of ownership.
“Billions of naira in potential Internally Generated Revenue are also untapped for state governments, and an estimated 300 billion dollars in “dead capital for the Federal Government.
“The Land4Growth” Programme is not just an administrative reform but a deliberate economic strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“It 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.
Dangiwa informed that the programme aimed to increase formal registration of land titles by at least 50 per cent within 10 years.
He added that it would deploy standardised, interoperable Land Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems, strengthen state land agencies and registries, unlock over 150 billion dollars in “dead capital”, among others.
He listed some of the objectives of the “Land4Growth” programme to include: securing land rights for individuals, communities, and businesses.
He also said it would unlock land’s economic potential as a driver of credit, investment, and housing delivery, increase States’ IGR through vibrant, formal land markets and efficient property taxation, and more.
The minister emphasised that the initiative would 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.
He allayed the concerns of state governments by assuring them that states would maintain full decision-making power on land matters, with support from partners like the World Bank.
This, he said, would ease financial pressure through funding, training and technical assistance.
Dangiwa also noted that the model is flexible and could 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).
He informed that the initial phase of the programme would focus on 18 to 20 reform-ready states, targeting the issuance of over one million digital titles and the training of more than 2,000 professionals.
“This will be supported by LIS and GIS 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 would improve access to credit, reduce disputes, and enhance property values.
He added that the modernised records would boost internally generated revenue (IGR), attract investment, and enable better urban planning for states.
Accordingly, he said the programme would be a foundation for sustainable housing, infrastructure, agriculture, and economic growth on the national level.
NAN
