The Federal Government has announced plans to unlock over $150 billion worth of dormant land capital nationwide as part of efforts to stimulate economic growth, expand access to credit, and strengthen land governance.
Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, disclosed the plan on Thursday in Abuja in a statement signed by Badamasi Haiba, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations.
The announcement was made during a Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Nigeria Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme in Lagos, themed “Moving from Inception to Implementation.”
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Dangiwa explained that the programme, branded “Land4Growth”, would be driven by the National Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme and is a core component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that Nigeria’s current land administration system is highly inefficient, with less than five percent of land formally titled.
This situation, he said, leaves millions of Nigerians without secure proof of ownership, denies states billions of naira in potential Internally Generated Revenue, and locks away an estimated $300 billion in so-called “dead capital” for the federal government.
According to him, the initiative is more than a bureaucratic reform; it is a deliberate economic strategy aimed at transforming land from a dormant asset into a productive engine of prosperity for individuals, states, and the nation.
“The government intends to replace the fragmented, opaque, and paper-based system with a digitised, transparent, and efficient national framework that will increase formal land title registration by at least 50 percent within the next decade.
“This will be achieved by deploying modern Land Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems, strengthening state land agencies and registries, and creating the enabling environment for vibrant land markets”, he stated.
The minister said the programme’s objectives include securing land rights for individuals, communities, and businesses, unlocking land’s potential as a driver of credit and investment, boosting housing delivery, and increasing state revenues through formal land transactions and effective property taxation.
He assured that the programme would be led by state governments in line with their constitutional powers under the Land Use Act, with the federal government providing coordination, technical assistance, and financial support in collaboration with partners such as the World Bank.
He stressed that the model is designed to be flexible enough to adapt to the laws of individual states while maintaining national standards and interoperability.
“Public enlightenment campaigns will be launched to encourage property owners to collect their approved Certificates of Occupancy.
“In its initial phase, the programme will target between 18 and 20 reform-ready states.
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“The government aims to issue over one million digital land titles and train more than 2,000 professionals to handle the modernised processes.
“This phase will also include the deployment of Land and Geographic Information Systems, the establishment of a National Land Information Repository, and the creation of a Harmonised Land Governance Structure to simplify procedures, reduce transaction times, and improve transparency”, he added.
Dangiwa emphasised that for citizens, the programme will provide secure land titles that can be used to access loans, reduce ownership disputes, and increase property values.
“For state governments, it will strengthen revenue generation, attract domestic and foreign investment, and improve urban planning.
“At the national level, it will lay a solid foundation for sustainable housing development, agricultural productivity, infrastructure expansion, and long-term economic growth.
“This programme will serve as the foundation for sustainable housing, infrastructure, agriculture, and economic growth nationwide,” the minister affirmed.
