The Federal Government has issued a 60-day ultimatum for owners of titled properties nationwide to pay their outstanding ground rent and other statutory charges or risk losing their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).
This announcement was made by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, during the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The conference, themed “Equitable Land Stewardship: Challenges of Land Administration and Its Impact on Climate and Community Rights,” brought together key stakeholders from various federal and state agencies.
Dangiwa highlighted that many property owners have failed to make their payments, resulting in significant revenue losses for the government. He emphasized that the Ministry will no longer tolerate such non-compliance, as these funds are essential for national development.
“The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development recognizes that many titled property owners have neglected to pay ground rent and statutory charges for several years, leading to a loss of trillions of Naira in revenue for the Federal Government.
“Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this situation cannot continue, as this revenue is vital for delivering on promises to Nigerians. Therefore, all Federal C of O title owners are given a 60-day notice to pay all outstanding ground rent and statutory charges. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their C of Os,” Dangiwa stated.
The minister also pointed out that some residents’ associations in Federal Government-owned estates have hindered ministry officials from conducting billing and enforcing payments. He warned these associations to comply with the terms of their Certificates of Occupancy to avoid penalties.
Additionally, Dangiwa announced that the Ministry has upgraded the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-C of O) and Land Titling System for all federal government-owned lands across Nigeria’s 36 states.
The improved system incorporates a web-based Advanced Workflow System (WNABS) and an Electronic Documentation Management System (EDMS) to streamline review, approval, and issuance processes, significantly reducing administrative delays.
As of October 2024, over 600 e-C of O applications have been digitally approved, with plans to clear the remaining backlog by December. This initiative is part of a larger national land titling program developed in partnership with the World Bank and other stakeholders, aimed at unlocking $300 billion in untapped capital associated with unregistered land.
