Over 97% of land in Nigeria not formally titled – Minister Dangiwa

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday, August 12, launched the pilot phase of the state’s Identifier Project, a digital addressing system designed to streamline house numbering and street naming across Lagos.

Speaking at the unveiling in Victoria Island during the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP), Sanwo-Olu said the initiative will give every property in the state a unique digital identity, improving navigation, emergency response, and service delivery.

“This is about using technology as an enabler to resolve land issues. If you can get a property’s address, all necessary information about it will be accessible,” he said, praising the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda for modernising land administration.

The project will begin in Ikeja next week, employing QR codes and local government-specific colour codes to allow residents, officials, and service providers to access property information instantly.

At the event, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, revealed that over 97% of land in Nigeria is not formally titled, a situation that limits its use as collateral and diminishes market value. He announced plans to increase land titling to 50% within 10 years, enabling states to digitise registries, integrate geographic information systems, and adopt global best practices.

Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, described the Identifier Project as a step toward modernising Lagos’ infrastructure, with potential benefits for security, revenue generation, and urban management.