Housing Ministry to partner World Bank on national land documentation, others

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to partner with the World Bank Group towards conducting a National Land Documentation and Titling Programme in the country.

This according to a statement signed and issued by Director Information and Public Relations , Badamasi Salisu Haiba .

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa,  made the disclosure at a Workshop Nigerian Livable Cities organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the World Bank recently,  in Abuja .

He said the move has become necessary to explore the potential of land as an economic asset which is yet to be fully tapped by the country.

According to him  the workshop was aimed at fostering understanding and mapping out modalities towards the successful implementation of the World Bank’s Urban Livability and Mobility programme in Nigeria.

“It is a comprehensive initiative that encompasses sub-programs that are very important to us. This includes housing and land management, urban services delivery, climate change action, urban management and finance, and transportation,” Dangiwa noted.

In the area of land, he deferred to statistics which show that less than 10% of land in Nigeria is registered and has titles. “As a result, landowners cannot easily leverage land as an economic asset. This is sad and unfortunate. As part of our land reforms we are exploring a partnership with the World Bank towards the implementation of a National Land Registration and Titling Programme.

“Through this programme, we aim to partner with State Governments towards improving land formalisation from less than 10% to 50% in the next ten years. This is critical to unlocking over $300bn in dead capital. We have already worked on a draft framework for the programme and I have directed the Ministry’s focal persons and Consultant to share with the World Bank Group so we can begin the process towards adoption and implementation,” he said.

He added that the programme is an  important component in the Ministry’s land reforms strategy and will complement the Ministry’s plans to set up a National Land Commission to operationalize the Land Use Act.

The Nigeria Urban Livability and Mobility Programmatic Analytics and Advisory Services (ULM PASA) was launched by the World Bank to provide the Federal and State governments with technical support to improve the design and implementation of development policies and programs in selected Nigerian cities to enhance their livability, competitiveness and resilience.

To this end, the Minister said “the workshop provides a platform to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and forge partnerships that will propel our cities towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. We must harness the power of collaboration and leverage the expertise and experience of the World Bank to develop innovative solutions that address the multifaceted problems facing our cities.”

Dangiwa took out time to reel out the efforts of the Federal Government towards developing livable and sustainable cities, including the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme which aims to deliver 50,000 housing units in the first phase.

He explained “Our cities, once strongholds of economic growth and social progress, are now grappling with an array of complexities: rapid urbanization, infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation, climate change, housing deficit, poor service delivery and social inequality. These challenges, while daunting, also present immense opportunities for innovation and transformation.

Accordingly, the Minister stated also that establishing new cities and estates provides an opportunity for deliberate planning and designing of urban spaces that are not only beautiful in addition to landscape, but also promote efficiency and sustainability.

Stating further “ This is more so given the climate challenges that we face in ensuring that the housing sector contributes its quota to helping our country meet its green gas reduction targets. At the Ministry, we believe that implementing green building techniques, efficient waste management, and creating green spaces can contribute to a healthier and more environmentally friendly urban landscape”.

The World Bank Task Team Leader, Fuad Malkawi, presented the preliminary findings of the World Bank analytical review of Nigerian cities which he said were at the risk of disaster exposure due to inadequate infrastructure and basic social services as a result of rapid growth.

The workshop had two panel discussion sessions on; key priorities of state governments to improve Urban Livability and on Institutional Constrains to Improving Urban Livability.

Participants at the workshop include states’ commissioners and senior government officials responsible for lands, environment and housing matters.

States that attended the workshop were; Anambra, Abia, Edo, Kaduna. Kano,  Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and Plateau

The main objective was helping Nigerian cities to become more livable through collaborative deliberation on key urban policies, challenges, and institutional barriers hindering the effective implementation of urban development programs at the state and city levels.

Recommendations presented at the end of the workshop include; addressing the challenges of inaccurate data, reducing pressure on existing services due to rapid urban growth through adequate urban planning, controlling development along flood plains, developing programmes in line with government policies to drive urban livability, investing in climate smart infrastructure and services through prioritization process, and facilitating the review of the Land Use Act 1978 (1999 as amended).

Others are the development of a Drainage Master Plan for flood control, and a National Urban Programme to operationalize the National Urban Development Policy, the creation of City Administrations by State Governments backed by political will and Legal framework and improving their roles in service delivery, as well as integrating disaster resilience and early warning systems with State development plans, among others.