Kaduna Is First Amongst Equals in Land Administration—Deputy Gov

From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

Kaduna State has been recognized as a trailblazer in land administration and has been selected as one of the pilot states for the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration, and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP).

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by representatives from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the World Bank to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Monday.

Dr. Balarabe commended Governor Uba Sani for upgrading the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), which led the Federal Government to choose the state as one of the sub-nationals from which others will learn.

The Deputy Governor noted that although Kaduna State has made significant strides in digitalizing its land administration processes, it also needs additional support to accelerate ongoing reforms.

Dr. Balarabe also promised that the state will collaborate with the Federal Government and the World Bank to ensure the success of NLTRDP.

During the courtesy visit, the Director General of KADGIS, Dr. Bashir Garba Ibrahim, praised Governor Uba Sani for introducing new revenue streams, such as Sectional Titling, which is currently operational only in the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State.

The Director General also mentioned Shop Registration and the Farm Lease Programme as some of the revenue avenues introduced by Governor Uba Sani.

He stated that Kaduna State is in the process of regularizing over 100 unregistered layouts to enable residents to register their homes.

‘’So, with these breakthroughs, the World Bank also needs to intervene to help Kaduna State upgrade its system and ensure these activities are carried out seamlessly.

We need an alternative Land Administration Software because the current system cannot handle the volume of customers and activities we aim to support.

‘’We also need to establish a feedback mechanism within the Land Administration Software, allowing people to access their bills online instead of coming to KADGIS physically; they should be able to download their bills, make payments, and even download receipts online,’’ he explained.

Dr. Ibrahim further mentioned that KADGIS has established a unit dedicated to federal land titles, for those who want to register land in the state, which will help prevent multiple claims.

Earlier, the delegation, led by the Director of Lands and Urban Development, Mr. Alabi Collins, stated that the World Bank will support the proposed NLTRDP.

According to him, the program aims to reform Nigeria’s land governance and administration system by encouraging efficient land titling and registration processes.

Mr. Collins added that the goal is to unlock the economic potential of land assets for governments, businesses, and individuals by improving documentation and transparency.