Nigeria's Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, has declared that systematic land titling represents the country's most reliable pathway to achieving a $1 trillion economy.
Land Administration as Economic Catalyst
Speaking at the 30th Conference of Directors of Lands in Federal and State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies held in Kano, the minister emphasized that credible land governance will transform into a genuine economic asset for national development. Dangiwa pointed to international evidence showing that ministries responsible for land administration globally typically operate on approximately one percent of total public budgets.
"Based on these global benchmarks and our own national realities, a sustainable allocation of 0.5 to 1 percent will be sufficient to maintain digital registries, continue systematic documentation, and keep the cadastre up to date," Dangiwa stated authoritatively.
Strategic Investment in Land Reform
The minister stressed that half of any allocated funds must go directly to actual service delivery rather than administrative overheads. He specifically identified systematic titling, digitization, modern registries, surveys, and dispute resolution as priority areas requiring investment, rather than vehicles, furniture, or other overhead expenses.
"If we spend on impact, not overheads, every state will unlock revenue, citizens will gain secure property rights, not dead capital," Dangiwa explained. "And let's say this confidently: the success of the Land4Growth Programme is Nigeria's surest bet to achieving the targeted development."
Addressing Current Challenges
Dangiwa highlighted Nigeria's poor performance in the World Bank Doing Business ranking on Registering Property, citing excessive procedures, long timelines, and high costs as major obstacles. These challenges, he noted, create uncertainty for investors and unnecessary hardship for citizens.
Similar problems persist across states, including complex manual workflows, fragmented and outdated paper records, corruption risks, tenure insecurity for vulnerable groups, and remarkably low revenue collection despite enormous potential.
The minister assured participants that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, land administration will be treated as strategic economic reform rather than routine bureaucracy. "We are not yet there, but we are certainly not where we were last year. We are moving purposefully," Dangiwa affirmed.
Concrete Actions Underway
Dangiwa revealed that the government has already initiated concrete measures to translate commitment into action. "During this period, we introduced the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration, and Documentation Programme (Land4Growth) to unlock an estimated $300 billion in dead capital and are finalising a partnership with the World Bank and state governments to register, document, and title land nationwide," he announced.
Earlier at the conference, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shaiub Belgore, emphasized that the annual gathering of land directors should not remain merely a "yearly talk shop" but must drive tangible outcomes.
Dangiwa concluded with a powerful vision: "Land becomes bankable when citizens can use it for credit, when investors trust the registry, and when states earn sustainable revenue from property markets. We will unlock growth on a scale that can transform our national economy. That is how land becomes wealth, and how this sector can power Nigeria's economic future."
