The Federal Government has established a partnership with the World Bank Group to raise land formalization to 50% over the next 10 years, in an effort to free up more than $300 billion in dead capital.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, during the Nigerian Liveable Cities Workshop organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the World Bank, held in Abuja.
In a statement posted on the Ministry’s website, the Minister underlined the need for this collaboration to carry out a National Land Documentation and Titling Program, noting that less than 10% of Nigeria’s land is currently titled and registered, meaning that the majority of its economic potential remains unrealized.
Dangiwa stated “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.”
“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,” he added.
The statement underlined that the Housing Minister has developed a draft framework for the programme and directed it to be shared with the World Bank Group for adoption and implementation.
In addition, he stated that the initiative will help establish a National Land Commission to operationalize the Land Use Act and is a crucial component of the Housing Ministry’s land reform agenda.
The announcement also mentioned the World Bank’s establishment of the Nigeria Urban Livability and Mobility Programmatic Analytics and Advisory Services (ULM PASA), which aims to strengthen development policies and programs in a few Nigerian cities by offering technical assistance to the Federal and State governments.
The World Bank Task Team Leader, Fuad Malkawi presented findings showing that Nigerian cities are at risk of disasters due to inadequate infrastructure and social services caused by rapid growth.
The workshop included panel discussions on improving urban liveability and institutional constraints, with participants comprising state commissioners and senior officials from Anambra, Abia, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, and Plateau.
The principal aim was to improve the quality of life in Nigerian cities by the resolution of significant urban policies, obstacles, and institutional hurdles. Increasing data accuracy, restricting development in floodplains, revisiting the Land Use Act, coordinating programs with government policies, investing in climate-smart infrastructure, and easing the burden on services were among the recommendations.
