Nigeria’s Land Crisis: Just 10% of Territory Registered in 140 Years
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Nigeria’s land registration system has been exposed as one of the most inefficient in the world, with less than 10% of the country’s land formally documented over the past 140 years, the Federal Government has revealed.
Speaking at a workshop on the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme in Abuja, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, described the country’s land registration process as “slow, cumbersome, opaque, and prohibitively expensive”, leaving vast amounts of land untitled and unusable as economic assets.
“Since the inception of formal land registration in 1883, the processes have been conducted under a non-compulsory, sporadic system,” Dangiwa said. “It is no surprise, therefore, that less than 10% of Nigeria’s land has been registered in 140 years.”
The lack of formal documentation means millions of landowners are unable to leverage their property for credit or investment, effectively locking away an estimated $300bn in ‘dead capital’, according to experts.
Digital Revolution in Land Administration
In a bid to modernise land governance, the Federal Government has announced a partnership with the private sector to accelerate land registration, streamline documentation processes, and establish a national digital land information system.
Dangiwa outlined an ambitious plan to register and title all land parcels, making land bankable assets and boosting economic growth.
“This is not just about administrative efficiency,” he said. “It is a critical step towards unlocking wealth and driving economic transformation.”
As part of this initiative, the government will also train land registration officers, enhance formal land transactions, and promote public-private partnerships to ensure sustainable investment in digitised land administration.
“Digitised land records present enormous investment opportunities, and we must identify successful models that can be adapted to the Nigerian context,” Dangiwa noted.
World Bank Backs Reform Efforts
The World Bank has pledged its support for the initiative, describing it as a crucial driver of economic development.
Dr Michael Ilesanmi, Senior Special Development Specialist at the World Bank, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment, stating:
“This programme aligns with the World Bank’s vision to eradicate poverty and stimulate economic growth. A well-structured land administration system will unlock the potential of both the national and sub-national economies.”
Political Will for Change
Dangiwa assured stakeholders that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is determined to see the reforms through.
“Our role is to establish a uniform framework that enables states to build credible, efficient, and interoperable land titling systems,” he said.
The initiative aims to increase formal land transactions from 10% to over 50% within the next decade, improve access to credit, and significantly boost internally generated revenue for state governments.
“With the support of the World Bank, we are on the cusp of making history in Nigeria,” Dangiwa declared.
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