Abuja Land Swap initiative aims to open up districts in FCT – minister

A new infrastructure development programme known as Land Swap has been initiated in Abuja by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with the aim of opening up the area districts.

This initiative, according to Bala Mohammed, the FCT minister, is evolved as a new approach to housing and infrastructure development in the FCT, adding that it is also aimed to ensure that the city ranks among major cities of the world.

“The policy was borne out of the necessity to fast-track the provision of infrastructure and to stave-off pressure on public utilities and housing in FCT, because of its rapid growth in population,” Mohammed said.

The minister, who spoke at a town hall meeting on the initiative, explained that investors in this initiative, which will be private-sector driven, would take 60 percent of the development including payment of compensation to the native land owners while FCTA would take 40 percent of the land.

He assured that the master-plan of the FCT would be in tact as the urban and development department would work closely with the investors to ensure successful execution.

“The main objective of the land swap is to ensure comprehensive development of the districts in line with the Abuja master-plan; unlock dead capital by freeing up land with issuance of title documents to catalyses globally acceptable business activities in the FCT, crash property rental value in Abuja, and to catalyse a paradigm shift from land ownership to home ownership,” he disclosed.

The minister added that social housing, clusters, schools and markets were also to be factored into the land swap initiative to forestall any challenge that could arise in the future.

Meanwhile, Abubakar Burum, who represented the original inhabitants of Ketti village, comprises Gbagis and Gwandara tribes who are affected by the policy, suggested however that the aborigines should be properly integrated into its implementation to avoid any friction that could arise.

It would be recalled that the FCT minster, under the new policy, had kicked off the Dallas Carraway District in Kugbo part of the FCT, which has already put paid to the fact about the workability of the new policy.

HARRISON EDEH, Abuja