Falana Applauds FG’s National Land Titling, Registration Initiative 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has lauded the federal government for the implementation of the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme, saying it will unlock economic growth, enforce property rights and protect citizens from exploitation.

Falana delivered his remarks today on Day 2 of the 30th Conference of Directors of Lands, held in Kano, where he presented a detailed position paper on the reform of Nigeria’s land administration system.

A statement by the Director Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Housing,  Badamasi Haiba, said Falana praised the ministry for championing a programme that targets increasing Nigeria’s formal land registration from less than 10 per cent to 50 per cent within a decade, in partnership with the World Bank.

According to him, a properly executed nationwide land titling programme will mark the beginning of a new wealth creation era for millions of Nigerians and put an end to decades of informal transactions, land disputes, corruption and the harassment of citizens by illicit land operators.

He stressed that over 90 per cent of Nigerian land assets currently exist as ‘dead capital’, a condition that undermines mortgage access, hinders housing development, and limits economic participation.

Falana, however, urged the government to ensure that the ‘Land4Growth’ initiative remains inclusive, accessible and free of financial burden for citizens, especially vulnerable households in rural communities.

Accordingly, he called for a financing structure that places the responsibility of titling costs squarely on the government while ensuring legal enforcement and transparency at every stage of implementation.

He further noted that the success of the programme must go beyond digitisation and urban pilots, warning that without parallel reforms in enforcement of the Land Use Act and protection of customary rights, digitisation could simply “modernise the old inequities.”

He also advocated a stronger linkage between land titling and financing mechanisms under existing laws like the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) frameworks, so that formal titles translate directly into real access to mortgages and mass housing delivery.

He called on stakeholders across government institutions, financial institutions, developers, civil society and youth to treat the Land4Growth as a national development imperative, not just a technical exercise.

“No country can develop without proper land documentation,” he declared, urging stakeholders to seize the moment to restructure Nigeria’s land sector into a transparent, equitable and economically empowering system for all citizens.