The Enugu State government's push to increase revenue and overhaul land administration is creating financial strain for residents, landlords, and investors, while the state benefits financially, reports Lawrence Njoku.
Ezenwa Ogubuike, a retired civil servant, returned to his home in Akwuke, Enugu South Local Council, to find a red mark on his gate reading "Not Paid, By ENGIS." Initially confused, he later learned that officials from the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS) had placed it. Having paid no levies since building his property and seeing no government presence in the area, he questioned the demand. At the ENGIS office, he was told the government had begun revalidating properties, requiring owners to submit documents after paying a non-refundable N100,000 processing fee for privately acquired land. The process authenticates and updates property records to meet government standards. ENGIS aims to transform land administration and spatial data management, ensuring accuracy, security, and transparency in real estate transactions.
Ogubuike was also required to pay over N5 million for recertification. To cover this, he raised rent for his four flats by over 100 percent, from N400,000 to N800,000 per year, despite a lack of public infrastructure in the area. Owners of undeveloped plots faced similar requirements, including non-refundable fees to ENGIS and infrastructure levies for area development.
This situation affects landlords in Olympic Layout, One Day Area, Merry Land Extension, Ugwuabor, Jamboree, and other developing areas. Some were asked to recertify, while others underwent regularisation and paid infrastructure levies. The burden is passed to tenants through higher rents, threatening the incomes of average earners.
The Olympic Layout Landlords Association protested the infrastructure levy, noting that costs reached N10,000 per square meter in some areas, with a minimum of N5 million for a standard 500-square-meter plot. Many landowners are retired civil servants who bought land from indigenes of Attakwu and Akwuke communities with savings. Some used gratuity to build houses, while others could not. In 2020, many discovered that parts of the layout were subject to a legal battle between Akwuke community, Enugu South Local Council, and Etiti village, Ngwo in Enugu North Local Council. Etiti's victory forced many to pay millions to avoid plot reallocation or loss of houses.
Landowners rejoiced when ENGIS announced the takeover of all land as "Crown Land" and directed payment of a N100,000 verification fee, which many complied with. However, joy turned to sorrow with the imposition of an infrastructure levy, requiring payment within six months or risk losing plots and buildings. Many landowners are now in dejection and fear, appealing to Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah to reduce the levy to N2,000 per square meter, payable within one year.
Governor Mbah, upon taking office in 2023, reviewed and increased charges for landed property, calling it "right pricing and appropriate value for land." This raised costs for land purchase, construction, and rent. Additionally, groups known as "Ogbonechagu"—bare-chested young men who collect levies on property being developed—add to the burden. They impose fees that vary by community, and developers must pay all groups in areas with leadership crises to avoid project frustration.
Amid public outcry, the government held a town hall meeting at the International Conference Centre in Enugu. Attendees complained about government insincerity, forceful revocations, illegal land reassignment, multiple charges, and double sales by communities. They lamented corruption and impunity in land administration, including multiple Certificates of Occupancy for the same property.
The government stated that the meeting and ENGIS were responses to negative reports about land administration. Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, told attendees that the Mbah administration is committed to a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly system based on legality, digitisation, and accountability. He announced reforms including the abolition of illegal levies and streamlining of charges. Ground rent, land use charge, and all property-related charges are now unified and reduced by over 60 percent, with a single Unified Land Use Charge payable annually through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS).
Onyia emphasised that reforms are anchored on transparency, predictability, digitisation of records, and adherence to statutory processes. He announced an immediate ban on Ogbonechagu fees and directed their abolition. A task force will enforce compliance, and the public is urged to report illegal charges to [email protected]. The reforms were informed by a multi-stakeholder committee on land-related revenue and administration.
Governor Mbah had earlier signed an executive order declaring nine of the state's 17 local councils as urban areas to enable planning and structured development. ENGIS Managing Director Chiwetalu Nwatu announced that buildings in housing estates owned by the Ministry of Housing and the Housing Development Corporation must obtain building approval directly from those bodies. Building approval for houses in non-government estates within Enugu municipal area will be processed exclusively by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA). Certificates of occupancy for all buildings in both private and government estates will be processed directly for individual property owners.
Estate valuer Donald Igwe praised the reforms but doubted they would reduce high rents. He urged the government to invest in low-cost housing, develop infrastructure in new layouts, and allocate estates to private individuals at reduced prices. He noted that the governor's view of land as Enugu's oil wealth was a mistake, leading to high land costs and spikes in rents and investments.
Soil scientist Dr. Sunday Amalu attributed reform success to developing mass low-income houses, stressing that ordinary people should have access to land. He called for further reduction in government charges for land documentation and building approvals to address the housing crisis. Many who bought land before the current administration cannot build due to charges, and potential buyers are deterred by exorbitant fees. He suggested further reviews to keep the state free from commotion.
