Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Borno state government has issued over 1, 000 Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) amid the challenges of automation of land processes and digitization of land records in the Maiduguri metropolis.
According to him, between 1999 and 2019 only 1, 722 C of Os were issued to industrial and residential land title holders by the previous Governors.
Unveiling the challenges, at the weekend (Saturday), in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary, Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bababe, disclosed: “The digitalization of land administration with the issuance of C of Os has prevented land speculations and scandals among land vendors and traditional rulers, known and Bulamas.”
He said that the challenges comprise public ignorance on the rules, regulations, rights and limitations to land administration in the state.
Besides, he added that land vendors and some of the local traditional rulers capitalize on public ignorance, while corrupted practices within the agency may not meet the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target of N1 billion for 2022.
He said that despite public complaints on ground rents, the highest and lowest annual land charges of BOGIS remain at N1, 350 and N450 respectively.
“The Agency charges only N900 per annum for statutory titles of land,” he said, explaining that the lowest density charge is N3 per square meter.
He noted that this brings to an annual ground rent of N1, 350 in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) of Maiduguri metropolis.
On the conversion of land uses, he said: “To convert industrial and commercial layouts to other land use titles, like residential, are charged at the rates of N25 and N12 per square metre respectively.
He added that the land title holders had to each pay N50, 000 application and processing fees for the conversion.
End.
The Agency boss said the fee for converting an industrial layout to residential has been pegged at N10, 000 for residential, warning that it may be hazards to continue reside near petrol filling stations.
