Lagos Land Bureau pays out N2.5bn compensation in 12 months

Lagos State Land Bureau says it has in the past 12 months paid out N2.567 billion as compensation to individual property owners whose structures have been affected by ongoing road projects in the state.

Within the same period, the bureau also generated N10 billion revenue from its land transactions, and is expected to spend at least N5 billion in the current year on those affected by the Ikorodu Road expansion, the Lekki-Epe airport project, resettlement projects for the free trade zone parcels A and B, the Itire-Okota Link Bridge and associated road networks.

Hakeem Muri-Okunola, permanent secretary of the Bureau, who disclosed this at this year’s press briefing by his ministry, identified the complex nature of the Lagos environment as a major challenge to information technology, which in turn had hindered the commencement of electronic certificate of occupancy in the state.

He however said the process would commence in August, advising members of the public to ensure they ascertained real owners of properties before purchasing, and warned individuals who thrive in conning unsuspecting members of the public, by selling the state government land to desist from such criminal act.

Further more, he condemned the increasing illegal sale of government land by fraudulent individuals, saying “we strongly advise members of the public not to patronise criminal land speculators as all infringements by way of illegal structures on government land would be dealt with.”

Commenting on the Land Use Act, title documentation regulations, Okunola appealed to private land buyers to conveniently perfect title to their land by approaching the Bureau with relevant documentation bearing the real dates of transactions.

“This exercise is however still open till the end of next month after which such agreement with current date of transaction will be formally drafted in the usual legal format signed by the vendor and purchaser,” he added.

He also disclosed the state’s readiness to maximise its “small land” by ensuring even development within the metropolis, disclosing that the state had commenced the process through the New Towns Development Authority (NTDA).

“NTDA has been tirelessly engaged in sourcing new schemes in the five divisions of the state, which it proposes to bring on board for sale by the Land Bureau,” he said, lamenting the rate of encroachment on residential, industrial and commercial land by individuals.

ODINAKA MBONU