Built environment experts have urged the Federal and State governments to critically examine land issues, and find enduring solutions to the lingering disputes on its administration in the country.
They spoke at a two-day Conference of Directors of Lands Department in Abuja, where the Minister of State, Works, and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu, an engineer, said the issue of security today is firmly rooted in the land matters.
“Some of these conflicts relate to tenure rights and land security, especially in relation to ineffective land reform processes, boundary disputes due to transfer of ownership, or inheritance related conflicts.”
He also added, “As land experts, begin to consider again how we manage, use, allocate, and deploy land to ensure that it serves as a catalyst for national unity, aimed at deriving value from its resources.”
The minister noted that they are fully aware of inherent potentials in land/housing sector in providing employment and serve as a source of livelihoods to the teeming unemployed professionals.
Also, the Director/Head of Department of Land and Housing Development, Mrs. Angela Great-Edereka, called for contributions that would bring about lasting solutions to land conflicts and management.
According to her, “ The conference would help to improve professional skills and knowledge in line with best practices as well as bring up a pragmatic recommendation for effective management of Land.”
Equally, Great-Edereka regretted that the problems and challenges of securing land for agricultural and housing projects have not been easy, calling to land experts to address the disputes and disagreements.
In his part, the Register Estate Surveyors Valuer Registration (ESVARBON), Ifeanyi Uzonwanne, expressed displeasure on how the governments are handling land titling and registration in the country.
He noted that if the issue is properly addressed, it could reduce conflicts resulting from landholding and use, adding that in Africa, Rwanda ranks number one inland titling and registration.
The Registrar, therefore, recalled the Land Reform Committee, chaired by Prof. Peter Adeniyi, with recommendations that would lead to all these, which pilot projects have started in Kano and Ondo states. The Guardian