KADGIS HOSTS TOWN HALL MEETING ON LAND ADMINISTRATION REFORMS

The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) today hosted a Town Hall Meeting focused on strengthening partnerships and advancing efficient, transparent and citizen-centred land administration in Kaduna State.

Held at the Banquet Hall, General Hassan Usman Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna, the engagement brought together government institutions, professional bodies, traditional institutions and other key stakeholders to discuss reforms, emerging challenges and opportunities for improved land administration.

With the theme, “Building Strategic Partnerships for Efficient, Transparent and Citizen-Centred Land Administration in Kaduna State,” the meeting features presentations on integrity and corruption prevention in land administration, land-related fraud and financial crimes, as well as Kaduna State’s land administration reforms, achievements and future direction.

Representatives of professional bodies, land related bodies, Nigerian Bar Association, ICPC, EFCC, KSDPC, KASUPDA, KADRA, Security personnel, other related agencies alongside KADGIS management and other stakeholders, participated in the discussions aimed at promoting accountability, protecting citizens and strengthening confidence in land administration processes as well as presented their good will messages.

In his key note address, the Governor, Senator Uba Sani, represented by his SA on Political Matters, Hon. Abubakar Mamadi commended the DG. KADGIS and his team for their steadfastness in resolving land disputes.

The Governor further called for synergy and collaboration between all land Stakeholders as well as on all the people of the state to join hands with the government to ensure transparency and efficiency in service delivery, saying that together, Kaduna state can build a land administration system that is transparent, efficient, accountable and responsive to the needs of the people of Kaduna State.

Earlier in his welcome address, the DG KADGIS, Dr. Bashir Garba Ibrahim explained that the objective of the gathering was to interact with customers, land agents and developers on how to improve in land administration and transactions; to recognize some hardworking staff both in service and retired as well as brief the public on new programs initiated by the Service to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.

Also in his presentation, the DG stated that to minimize land fraud, KADGIS has introduced land agents registration where land agents will register their companies and those working with them to enable Land agents accreditation. To ensure land title security, he stressed that NIN and BVN have been introduced as requirements for processing and collection of CofO.

Dr. Bashir also added that the present administration has introduced Sectional titling and commercial property formalization recently, in collaboration with the Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company (KMDMC), Sectional Titling and Shops Registration Programme will enable shop owners to obtain titles for their shops. KADGIS has restructured the land administration procedures to make it easier to obtain land titles, Quality Assurance unit have been introduced to check all CofOs before they are released to owners, land disputes resolution has been introduced to reduce the burden of land disputes litigations and fasten resolutions of which through the initiative, over 5000 parcel of land have been given to various individuals as compensation for the disputes resolved.

On unjust land revocation inherited from past administrations, the DG revealed that more than 130 previously revoked land titles were reinstated following reviews that established that their revocation had been unjustified, with many other commendable achievements recorded by the Service under the present administration.

The Town Hall meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences, raise concerns and contribute recommendations towards improved service delivery and sustained collaboration, the awarding of outstanding KADGIS staff as well as paper presentations.