FCTA Screens Only 8,287 of 261,914 Area Council Land Documents for Regularisation

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has screened just 8,287 land documents out of 261,914 submitted for regularisation between 2006 and 2023—a mere 3.2% of the total applications.

This was disclosed on Friday by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, during a press briefing in Abuja.

Olayinka revealed that the administration is still processing the remaining 253,627 submissions, which are part of a broader reform of land administration in the FCT approved by Minister Nyesom Wike. The new land administration policy is scheduled to take effect on April 21.

The reforms will address several key issues, including conditions for granting statutory Rights of Occupancy (R of O), the contents of the R of O bills, acceptance/refusal letters, titling for mass housing schemes, and regularisation of area council land documents.

“These reforms aim to ensure proper documentation and titling of land allocations in area councils and mass housing projects, granting security to property owners,” Olayinka said.

He added that land allottees will be expected to develop their plots within two years of allocation.

According to him, the process began in 2006 when the Zonal Land, Planning, and Survey Offices in the six area councils were directed to submit all allocation records—layouts, files, and registers—to the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the Lands Department.

However, out of the 8,287 documents screened so far, only 2,358 have been fully validated and regularised, paving the way for the issuance of statutory titles.

Olayinka explained that beneficiaries of these approved titles must complete all payments—covering bills, fees, rents, and charges—within 60 days. Failure to do so would result in the forfeiture of the offer.

He emphasized that all land within the FCT is considered urban land under the law, making the regularisation of area council-issued land documents a legal necessity.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the slow pace of progress over the years is now being addressed under the new framework.

“With 253,627 documents still pending, this reform gives us the structure to clear them within two years,” he said. “This is a major relief for landholders, who will now be able to secure statutory Rights of Occupancy and Certificates of Occupancy once they fulfill the required payments.”