FG: 60 Days to Pay Ground Rent or Lose C of O, The Federal Government has issued a 60-day deadline for titled property owners nationwide to settle outstanding ground rent and statutory fees, warning that failure to comply will lead to the revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O). Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, made this announcement on Wednesday at the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
FG: 60 Days to Pay Ground Rent or Lose C of O
The conference, themed Equitable Land Stewardship: Challenges of Land Administration and Its Impact on Climate and Community Rights, gathered key stakeholders from federal and state agencies to address critical issues in land administration.
Dangiwa expressed concern over the substantial revenue loss, amounting to trillions of naira, due to non-payment of ground rent by numerous property owners. He underscored that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, such non-compliance would no longer be tolerated, as these funds are essential for national development.
“All Federal C of O titleholders have a 60-day grace period to settle all outstanding ground rent and statutory charges,” stated Dangiwa. “Failure to make payment within this time frame will lead to the revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy.”
The minister also noted that some residents’ associations in federal estates have hindered officials from enforcing payments. He warned that associations obstructing ministry staff would face penalties for failing to meet C of O compliance requirements.
In addition, Dangiwa revealed that the Ministry has upgraded the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-C of O) and Land Titling System for federal lands across Nigeria’s 36 states. This improved system incorporates a web-based Advanced Workflow System (WNABS) and an Electronic Documentation Management System (EDMS), designed to streamline the review, approval, and issuance process, thus reducing delays.
Since October 2024, over 600 e-C of O applications have been digitally approved, with a goal to clear the remaining backlog by December. This initiative, part of a broader national land titling program in partnership with the World Bank and other stakeholders, aims to unlock $300 billion in untapped capital tied to unregistered land.
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