FG considers establishment of National Land Commission – Dangiwa

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has disclosed the intention of the federal government to establish a National Land Commission in order to enhance land administration matters in Nigeria.
This was contained in statement signed and issued by Director Information,Salisu Haiba Badamasi.
Dangiwa made the disclosure, yesterday while declaring open the 28th Conference of Directors of Land holding in Lagos.
The theme of the 28th Conference is “Improving Land-Based Revenue of the Federating Units in Nigeria through Efficient and Effective Land Administration.”
The minister said that the commission, when established, would serve as a complimentary institution that would provide necessary framework, guidelines and regulation operationalizing the Land Use Act of 1978 to achieve efficient land administration in Nigeria.
Dangiwa also acknowledged that some of the challenges impeding efficient land administration in Nigeria were beyond the capacity of the Conference and Directors to resolve, pointing out, the most fundamental ones such as the Land Use Act 1978 would require legislative amendments and national government policy interventions.
“Currently we have a situation where the Land Use Act was enacted in 1978 but there was no complementary institution set up alongside it to provide the necessary framework, guidelines, and regulations for operationalizing it. We are working to establish a National Land Commission that would fix this gap and chart a new way forward for effective land administration in the country,” the minister noted.