The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has pledged its support for States in their efforts to upgrade their Geographic Information System (GIS) for efficient land administration.
Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, made the pledge when a delegation led by the Honourable Commissioner of Lands and Survey of Adamawa State paid a courtesy visit to the FCTA.
The Minister said that it has been the policy of the FCT to assist other sub-nationals in the country in the upgrade of their land management processes.
A statement by Anthony Ogunleye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, quoted Malam Bello as saying, “the issue of digitalization and modernizing the land system has already been agreed by the National Council of Land, Housing and Urban Development and many states have gone very far. In the FCT, it’s common knowledge that we are now at a very advanced stage. So it has always been a policy of the FCT Administration to support other sub-nationals within the Nigerian federation to be able to upgrade their system. So, I assure you that we will also continue with that policy and provide you all the needed support”.
Speaking on the importance of modernizing the land management process in the country, Malam Bello said that land was one of the greatest assets that all governments across the country have by virtue of the Land Use Decree.
He said it was therefore very important that all land issues were well documented and digitalized.
Malam Bello also commented on the role of a transparent and efficient land processing system on the ease of doing Business ranking of the country. He Said “you know also that in the ease of doing business, land and land related matters weigh very heavily on how countries are ranked. If land management systems and land transfer systems are modernized and made very transparent, devoid of corruption and also made very clear to people, I think it has direct bearing on the ease of doing business of countries and also enhances business.
Speaking earlier, the Adamawa State Commissioner of Lands and Survey Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa Yayaji, said that his delegation was in the FCT to seek for technical support for the upgrading of the Adamawa State GIS. In his words “we have our own baby GIS but we feel that definitely, we need to upgrade and there is no other place that we feel we can get this kind of assistance better than here in the FCT. That is why we are here to pay this call and also to make a plea to the FCT Administration so that we can have that assistance from you.
Also present during the courtesy visit were the Director Urban and Regional Planning FCTA, TPL Zaliha’u Ahmed, mni, Director, AGIS, Dr Isa Jalo and other Directors of the FCTA.
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