GOVERNOR NASIR EL-RUFA’I’S INTRODUCTION OF KADUNA GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICE (KADGIS): THE VALUE OF ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY TO THE ECONOMY OF KADUNA STATE AND ITS PEOPLE WILL BE UNQUANTIFIABLE!

GOVERNOR NASIR EL-RUFA’I’S INTRODUCTION OF KADUNA GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICE (KADGIS): THE VALUE OF ELECTRONIC/DIGITAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY TO THE ECONOMY OF KADUNA STATE AND ITS PEOPLE WILL BE UNQUANTIFIABLE!

                                                   

                                    BY: 

                   Nurudeen Dauda

                       May 5, 2016.

nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com

nurudeendauda24@gmail.com 

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Governor Nasir El-Rufa’I was the first person to introduce Electronic/digital land registry in Nigeria then as a minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Governor has replicated being the first to introduce it in Kaduna State. The value of land registry to the economy of every state can never be overemphasized.

There are so many intervention funds at “Single Digit Rate” by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) aimed at boosting agriculture, commerce and trade etc., but because most of us especially in the Northern part of Nigeria do not value Certificate of Occupation(C of O) we missed a lot of opportunities.

CBN has  so many schemes  aimed at supporting agriculture and trade etc., which we can benefit; such as: Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF), Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee Scheme (SMECGS), Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund(MSMEDF), and Anchor Borrowers Programme(APB) etc.  

So many of us are losing the opportunity of accessing “cheap funds” from the CBN for agric-business or commercial activities due to lack of C of O which could have been used as “Collateral Security”. Businesses thrive through collection of loans as “Initial Capital or for refinancing or for business expansion; even Aliko Dangote the “Richest man” on the continent borrows money from the banks to do business. No financial institution recognizes “sales agreement” as we are used to between seller and buyer even if there is District Head’s “official stamp” as “collateral security”. 

Possessing land titles(C of O) will really assist every person whether as a farmer or trader or transporter in accessing money from the “financial institution” in order to finance or expand his or her business or farming activities. More so, “electronic or digital land registry” will also completely eliminate “land racketeering” which is very common in our society. The government is not left out in the benefit of digital land registration.

Governor Tanko Al-Makura, Nasarawa State said: “Revenue accruing from the land reforms programme had improved geometrically. It is worthy of note that ,when we came on board in 2011, the state generates only N34million from land administration, but with the reform, the revenue shot up to N317million in 2012,N448million million in 2013 and 608million in 2014”Mr Sonny Agassi; Commissioner, Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Nasarawa State said: “as a head of the reform programme, NAGIS will be a major revenue earner for the state, capable of raking in more than N5billion monthly from a land size of about 27,000 square KM. He said NAGIS, which he refers to as “the baby of my boss, the governor” was initiated following its success story in the FCT where is raking in about N1.5billion monthly from ground rents and other land charges, from a land size of about 8,000 square KM” 

Kaduna State with about 46,000Km of landmass is likely to make a lot of financial benefit through increase internationally generated revenue (IGR) from the new land administration. All land by the “1979 land reform” is under the control of the state government, however, at any point in time the state government deems it necessary it can collect any plot of land allocated to anybody legally and “compensates” him. Compensation in the eyes of the “law” does not recognize “sales agreement” but rather C of O and other necessary documents.

 Many people have plots of land that could be developed through Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) which will enable them build residential houses, but because of lack of C of O many of us could not get  that opportunity  from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.   

Before you buy a plot of land in Kaduna state going forward it advisable that you make sure it has C of O or even if it does not have immediately you buy it try and obtain your C of O. Another very important thing that plots developers ignore is “building permit”; KASUDA is the body charge with the responsibility of issuing building permit to plots developers while KADGIS will now be responsible for issuing of C of O.  

It is only when you have C of O and building permit that the government will compensate you in the event the government wants to use your land for something.

May God bless Kaduna state!