Land swap policy to address settlement of Abuja

Director, Department of Development Control under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Mallam Yahaya Yusuf, has assured indigenes of Abuja that the Land Swap policy introduced by the FCT Administration would address issues of their resettlement.

He said this in a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja.

According to the Director, the policy would also encourage private funding of infrastructure in the territory.

“The policy, as initiated by the FCT minister, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, involves granting of Greenfield land to competent real estate

practitioners, who will in turn provide infrastructure such as roads and electricity.

“This policy is expected to bring in billions of Naira from banks in and outside the country and generate over one million jobs for

unemployed Nigerians,’’ he said.

Yusuf said the policy was globally accepted for urban development, adding that indigenes of Abuja had accepted it as an alternative means of addressing issues of resettlement.

“Funding for resettlement of indigenes will also become more accessible through the private investors.

“It has been adopted during period of rapid urban development by many European countries. It is also endorsed by the World Bank as suitable for any country experiencing budget crisis,’’ he explained.

Yusuf further explained that traditional rulers in the territory had endorsed the policy and it had gone a long way to make it acceptable to the indigenes.

“The Land Swap policy will be beneficial to them; they will be the major beneficiaries in the jobs that would be created,’’ the director said. (NAN)