Regularization of Land Titles in Lagos State

The Government of Lagos State headed by Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola, several years ago announced that land owners in Lagos who have no proper title should make hast to regularize their title within 6 months starting for August 1, 2012 or face the consequences of revocation.

In life, things are constantly changing and it is important that we sometimes move with the flow otherwise, we’ll be left behind.

Regularization is the process whereby squatters on uncommitted Government Land are given an opportunity to obtain from the State Government, legal title to the land intruded upon. It is also the process of allocating Government land to someone who previously occupied landed property without lawful authority from the State Government. In essence, if you are a land owner who presented forged documents to obtain your Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), you are liable for this regularization exercise. Please know that the aim is not to seize or take properties that do not have valid titles but to make sure that all properties within uncommitted government acquisition are properly documented and granted legal titles where applicable.

Unfortunately, according to the records of the State, a good number of residents and even corporate organizations acquire land without obtaining the approved titles while presenting fake documents as well. This practice is what has consequently encouraged the many famous disputes related with land transactions. That’s why land owners who have acquired land without proper documents are being given the opportunity to perfect their documentation. That way, there will be simplicity and acceleration to the process of regularization of land titles by the grant of a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in circumstances where unattached government land has been violated upon. Now according to the State, even if you have unknowingly bought a government acquired land, this exercise affords you the opportunity to regularize your titles and be able to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Another advantage of this exercise is also to facilitate the grant of approvals for building plan in conjunction with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for properties falling within uncommitted government acquisition.

Benefits of partaking in this exercise to the applicant include being recognized by law as the legitimate owner of the property, ability to obtain bank loans to transact business using the title as collateral for mortgage facilities, ability to legally sell and dispose of the property seamlessly and also to obtain compensation from the government in the event that the land is ever revoked or acquired for public purposes and of course, the fact that you will be on the right side of the law as there will be penalty for those who are in err and do not change their ways.

Why this may be seen as one of the aggressive revenue generation drives of this administration, and I consider it so also, although a generally helpful one. The overall effect will help the economy in turning a lot of Dead Capital assets up for very useful purposes.