The Federal Government has issued a 60-day deadline for owners of its titled properties across the country to settle outstanding ground rent and statutory charges, warning that failure to comply will result in the revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, made the announcement on Wednesday during the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Themed “Equitable Land Stewardship: Challenges of Land Administration and Its Impact on Climate and Community Rights,” the conference brought together stakeholders from federal and state agencies to discuss pressing land administration issues.

Dangiwa lamented that many property owners have defaulted on payments for years, causing the government to lose trillions of naira in revenue crucial for national development. He emphasized that the current administration would no longer tolerate non-compliance, given the importance of these funds to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is aware that several owners of its titled properties have failed to pay ground rent and other statutory charges for years. This non-compliance has resulted in the loss of trillions of naira in revenue to the Federal Government. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, this cannot be tolerated, as this revenue is much needed to deliver on national development efforts,” Dangiwa said.

“All federal C of O titleholders are hereby given a 60-day notice to settle their outstanding ground rent and statutory charges. Failure to comply within this period will result in the revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy,” the minister warned.

Dangiwa also criticized residents’ associations in some Federal Government-owned estates for obstructing officials from carrying out billing and enforcement activities, cautioning them to comply with the terms of their C of Os to avoid penalties.

Additionally, the minister highlighted recent upgrades to the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-C of O) and Land Titling System for federal lands nationwide. The enhanced system now incorporates an Advanced Workflow System (WNABS) and an Electronic Documentation Management System (EDMS), significantly streamlining the review, approval, and issuance processes.

“As of October 2024, over 600 e-C of O applications have been digitally approved, and we aim to clear the remaining backlog by December,” Dangiwa noted.

This initiative is part of a national land titling program developed in collaboration with the World Bank and other partners, intended to unlock $300 billion in untapped capital tied to unregistered land assets across Nigeria’s 36 states.