Investors gain as land bureau reviews processes to enhance ease of doing business

Determined to improve on the World Bank’s low rating of Nigeria in Ease of Doing Business Index and attract more investors, the Lagos State Land Bureau has commenced reviewing processes in  its land administration to make acquisition faster, cheaper and more convenient for buyers/investors.

This is good news for investors and land buyers who stand to gain from the review because they will be spending less time and money as the review promises to improve significantly on the turn-around-time (TAT) for acquiring and registering property.

“We have commenced the review of our systems and policies that will entrench a one-stop shop and  facilitate unhindered and secured access to all factors of production including land ,capital , labour and entrepreneurship, chief of which is land”, said Yetunde Onabule, the Special Adviser  to the governor on Urban Development,  who spoke at a stakeholders engagement on Ease of Doing Business in Lagos  recently.

Onabule  highlighted the need for Lagos State, being the commercial nerve center of Nigeria, to automate its entire land administration process and create a system where land titles will be secured , guaranteed and easy to obtain.

She affirmed that the Land Bureau had initiated plans to facilitate Ease of Doing Business by first, collapsing into four workflow interface with clients in all its directorates. The interface areas are places where applicants submit applications, collect demand notice for payment, submit revenue receipt, and come back to collect registered title documents.

According to her, while upgrading and restructuring  of Land Registry is on-ongoing, the Bureau remains committed to reviewing its business process, adding,  “we have redesigned the layout of the Land Registry to ensure flow of processes and transactions which will lead to reduced turn-around-time (TAT).

“This process culminated in the reduction of the number of units within the Land Registry from 11 to three; the requirement for a sworn affidavit prior to conducting Tittle Search at the Registry has also been cancelled to make the process faster and less cumbersome”, she revealed.

The Permanent Secretary at the Bureau, Bode Agoro,  had earlier observed  that registering property , amongst other things , is one of the priority areas for business reforms, and in Lagos it is key determinant for improving Nigeria’s rating on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index.

“As a responsive government, we understand and appreciate the importance of impactful reforms that would ease the registration of property, which will invariably improve Nigeria’s rating on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index;  our reforms are in line with this”.

On completion, the on-going initiative will revolutionalise land administration, not only in Lagos, but also in Nigeria, and will also push up the country’s place on the Ease of Doing Business table by up to 50 places, he assured.

CHUKA UROKO