The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has approved a sweeping overhaul of land administration policies in the FCT, targeting long-standing issues in land allocation, development, and documentation.
The reforms, according to the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications & Social Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement, are part of Wike’s broader agenda to restore order, credibility, and investor confidence in FCT land administration.
The new reforms, which take effect from April 21, 2025, aim to address delays, boost revenue, and enhance transparency and efficiency in the sector.
Key aspects of the reform include strict enforcement of deadlines for payments on land offers, regularisation of Area Council land allocations, and a new framework for titling properties under the Mass Housing Scheme.
Under the new directives, land allottees will now have 21 days from the date of offer to make full payments for Statutory Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) bills, fees, rents, and charges.
They must also submit a completed letter of acceptance and proof of payment within this period or risk losing their allocation. Payments made after the 21-day deadline will be deemed invalid.
Additionally, recipients of land allocations are now required to commence and complete development within two years.
This replaces the previous indefinite timeframe, which the FCT Administration said encouraged speculation, delayed infrastructure growth, and increased government costs through repeated public notices.
The administration also addressed the backlog in regularising land allocated by Area Councils.
Despite a directive as far back as 2006 for Area Councils to submit allocation records to the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), only 3.2% of the over 261,000 submissions have been vetted, with just 2,358 titles regularized. All successfully vetted Area Council documents will now be issued statutory titles, and beneficiaries will have 60 days to complete payments or risk cancellation of their offers.
On the Mass Housing Programme, which began in 2000 to provide affordable housing through public-private partnerships, the FCT Administration noted that only two out of 445 developers have met the original terms and conditions. Most property holders within Mass Housing estates have also not been paying rent, fees, or charges despite long-term occupancy.
To address this, a new operational framework has been introduced to fast-track the titling process for Mass Housing and Sectional Interests.
From April 21, 2025, developers and subscribers are expected to submit applications for title processing to the Department of Land Administration.