The recent reforms put in place by the Lagos State government in the Land Bureau, the department in charge of land administration in the state, have not only improve the needed services, but also continue to enhance ease of doing business, in all ramifications.
Speaking on the efforts by government to simplify ease of doing business, as exemplified in land administration, Mrs.Yetunde Onabule, who is the Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state on Urban Development noted that with the objective of making the processes of doing business easier, the Bureau has commenced the review of its systems and policies to create a”One-Stop-Shop capable of facilitating unhindered an secured access to all factors of production, namely; Land, Capital Labour and Entrepreneurship, chiefly the land”, said Onabule.
According to her, the Bureau had also redesigned the layout of the Land Registry to ensure flow of the processes and transactions which, ultimately reduced turn-around-time (TAT).
“This culminated in the reduction of the number of units within the Land Registry from 11 to three. In line with the law, the requirement for a sworn Affidavit to conduct Title seech at the Registry is no longer required. This is to further make the process faster and less cumbersome.
“Furthermore”, she argued: “as part of our efforts to improve the Easeof doing Business in Lagos State,the Land Bureau, through the Directorate of Land Services, have also harmonished it’s Demand Notice/Assessment Letter to encompass all fees payable for Governor’s Consent”, she said, adding that the demand notice now outlines the harmonised fees to include Consent Fee, Capital Gain Tax, Stamp Duty,Charting Fee,as well as Endorsement as well as Form1c Charge.
The Special Adviser also hinted that in addition to the newly introduced payment regime, automated searches at the Land Registry are conducted within one hour of submission of any such request, which means that applicants are no longer required to conduct search prior to registration of title documents.
“With this newly introduced process, there is significant reduction in the time frame for obtaining the Certified True Copies (CTC), of land title documents to a maximum period of two hours.
“The Bureau remains committed to propel the country’s place of Ease of Doing Business table by up to 50 places. I’m in no doubt that by the time these initiatives are fully implemented, they will revolutionise land administration, not only in Lagos State, but in Nigeria at large,” Onabule said.
