Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government is working to establish a sustainable land management and administration system in Nigeria.
Speaking at the National Land Conference 2025 in Abuja, the Vice President who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, emphasised the need to reform the Land Use Act of 1978, which has long governed land ownership, management, and administration in Nigeria.
“Although the Act has significantly shaped land administration, it has also contributed to systemic challenges that must now be addressed,” he stated.
He noted that at 48 years old, the Act is due for review, as analysts have criticized it as an impediment to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
To tackle these issues, he said, “the current administration inaugurated four reform task teams in January 2024 to create a strategic blueprint for streamlining land administration.”
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a National Land Commission, with an executive bill already in progress at the National Assembly.
The Director-General of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo highlighted the importance of the conference in shaping new land governance policies.
“We are here to reflect, ask hard questions, and propose solutions to develop Nigeria into what its founding fathers envisioned,” he said.
According to him, “Our motto is towards a better society. We want to fulfill one of our mandates, which is to research and reflect on matters of national interest.”
While speaking, the President of the Johnbull Amayaevbo Foundation, Johnbull Amayaevbo stressed that outdated policies and administrative bottlenecks have hindered effective land governance.
He cited the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index (2023), where Nigeria ranked 169th out of 190 countries in property registration.
He added that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) found that only 3% of Nigeria’s urban land is formally registered.
Amayaevbo further referenced the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which reported that Nigeria loses 350,000 hectares of forest annually due to unsustainable land use.
He called for urgent reforms, including: Establishing an Office of the Valuer-General,Modernizing land administration laws, Enhancing land tenure security and Promoting sustainable land management practices
“The reforms we propose must be bold yet practical, visionary yet actionable,” Amayaevbo said, emphasizing the need for inclusivity in land governance.
The conference, themed “Reforming Land Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” was hosted by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in partnership with the Johnbull Amayaevbo Foundation.
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