On Friday, April 11, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, unveiled sweeping reforms in land administration.
The initial reaction is to hail the reforms which the administration says is to put an end to the intractable issue of land racketeering, legally recognised land titles for property owners, boost investor confidence, and promote sustainable urban development. and assist thousands of citizens in the FCT to own their own homes.
Nigeria with an estimated housing deficit currently at about 28million units, with about 700,000 homes needed annually to bridge the gap, it will ordinarily be a welcome relief.
A housing expert, Surveyor Yemi Olugbenle, recently lamented that Nigeria is still far below the housing needs, urging the Federal Government to work together with the private sector to cut the gap.
“In Nigeria, we are still far below the housing needs. It is very important that the private sector and the government work hard on delivering housing to Nigerians at a reasonable cost”, he said.
It is in this regard that this newspaper is not too cheerful about Minister Wike’s land reforms in Abuja.
At the unveiling of the policy, the Director of Land Administration, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the changes target critical areas such as the granting of Statutory Rights of Occupancy, titling of mass housing, and regularisation of Area Council land documents.
Some highlights of the new policy include a 21-day payment deadline for land offers.
It states that allottees must complete payment of all prescribed bills, fees, rents, and charges within 21 days.
A duly completed Letter of Acceptance and evidence of payment must also be submitted within this period. Offers will be withdrawn if payments are not made within the deadline, and late payments will be considered invalid.
This is a tall order given the poor economic power of those the policy intends to assist. Most Nigerians are barely going by and to insist that land charges be paid within 21 days or risk losing the opportunity is being clever by half.
The minimum this newspaper advocates for is a three month window for allocations to be paid for.
Further, the policy makes the point of two-year development period for allocated lands. This is beyond overstretch because even mortgages run for several years and the FCTA seems to be out of touch with the economic reality.
It will be imagined that the administration will create financing opportunity to complement existing ones. Not even the government with all its economic prowess has been able to deliver on housing projects in a decade talk more of two years.
The most realistic window is the 60-day window for regularisation of area council documents. According to Nwankwoeze, holders of successfully vetted area council land documents will have 60 days to make full payment of all required fees to obtain statutory titles. Non-compliance within the stipulated time will render the offer invalid.
To add to the 60-day window which this newspaper find worthy is that subscribers and developers in mass housing estates are to submit applications to the Department of Land Administration for title processing, commencing from April 21, 2025.
The new framework aims to correct a long-standing gap in the Mass Housing Programme by issuing titles to current occupants, many of whom have lived in the estates for years without formal documentation.
While we are excited at the Wike-led FCTA in providing home ownership opportunity for citizens with legal framework, it will be expedient for the administration to rethink some of the concerns we have raised and have a more inclusive housing policy.
