The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, signed 5,481 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) in 2024, a figure that reflects a significant improvement in the issuance process.
This number is 2,919 less than the total number issued by the FCT Administration over 13 years, from 2010 to 2023.
The minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, highlighting reforms introduced to improve the processing and collection of title documents.
According to Olayinka, the current administration has streamlined the C-of-O process to ensure faster delivery. “The moment necessary payments are made, land allottees can now get their C-of-O within two weeks,” he stated.
He explained that delays in the past discouraged landowners from completing the payment process.
“One of the reasons land allottees did not feel compelled to pay for their C-of-O was because, after payment, they had to wait for years. But with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, that has changed,” Olayinka added.
Additionally, he noted that uploading necessary information for collected certificates, which previously took months, now takes just 72 hours.
Even uploading of necessary information to show when a C-of-O is collected as well as details on the collector that used to take months, is now done within 72 hours.”
Giving details of Cs-of-O produced and signed in the FCT in the last 15 years, the minister’s spokesperson said, “From May 2010 to May 2015, a total of 5,655 Certificates of Occupancy were produced and signed.
“From May 2015 to May 2019, a total of 1,174 Certificates of Occupancy were produced and signed, while 1,571 were done between May 2019 and May 2023.
He further announced plans to notify land allottees whose certificates are ready for collection. “In the coming weeks, land allottees will begin receiving auto-generated SMS notifications because it has been discovered that many of them are unaware their documents are ready,” he said.
