Over 97% Of Land In Nigeria Not Formally Titled – Minister Dangiwa

On Tuesday, August 12, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu introduced the pilot phase of the state’s Identifier Project, a digital addressing initiative aimed at enhancing house numbering and street naming throughout Lagos.

During the unveiling in Victoria Island at the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP), Sanwo-Olu explained that the project will assign every property in the state a unique digital identity, facilitating better navigation, emergency response, and service delivery.

“This is about using technology as an enabler to resolve land issues. If you can get a property’s address, all necessary information about it will be accessible,” he said, commending the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda for advancing land administration modernization.

The initiative will commence in Ikeja next week, utilizing QR codes and color codes specific to local governments to enable residents, officials, and service providers to instantly access property details.

At the event, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, disclosed that over 97% of land in Nigeria lacks formal titling, limiting its use as collateral and reducing its market value. He outlined plans to boost land titling to 50% within a decade, allowing states to digitize registries, incorporate geographic information systems, and adopt international best practices.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, described the Identifier Project as a move toward modernizing Lagos’ infrastructure, offering potential advantages for security, revenue generation, and urban planning.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli