The Federal and Niger governments on Tuesday partnered to improve land registration and title processing in the state.
Dr Abdul Husseini, Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry for Lands and Survey, disclosed this when he received a Federal Government delegation led by Mr Collins Alabi, Director Lands, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Minna.
The delegation is also to inspect the upgrade of equipment at the Niger State Geographic Information System (NGISS) agency in Minna.
The contract for the upgrade of the equipment was recently awarded by Governor Umaru Bago.
Husseini said the visit was to discuss ways to enhance the state’s land titling processing.
“The Federal Government support will enable Niger state to adopt global best practices in land registration and titling,” he said.
Husseini added that the visit was also to assess the state progress in implementing the programme after the minister’s visit to Bago.
According to him, the director is impressed that the state government had already keyed into the project and will be among the leading states when they report back to the minister.
He highlighted the challenges associated with land registration in the state to include land ownership disputes and the need to train personnel on new technologies.
“Issues of land always comes with issues of land ownership, disputes, among others, training is very important, we are moving into a digital era, people are to be trained on how to use technology,” he said.
In his remarks, Alabi said the land registration and documentation programme had been ongoing for some time and the ministry was committed to upscaling it to attain global best practices.
“We have started this project for a while now, and all the opportunities to upscale it have been available to attain that optimal goal,” he said.
He explained that the purpose of the visit was to sensitise the state government on the project and explore ways to collaborate on the project.
According to him, some states would like to be where Niger is now, adding the governor would be invited to a forum to discuss the project’s progress and future plans. (NAN)
Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor, the Country Representative of the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HIIL) says land disputes and domestic violence topped the list of its 2025 Justice Needs and Satisfaction (JNS) in Nigeria report.
Nwafor said this in Abuja on Tuesday during the presentation of the report that tracked how justice problems evolve over time.
She said the study was conducted over three years, and followed the same group of Nigerians to understand the shifting nature of their justice experiences.
She said that land disputes and domestic violence were among the most frequently reported issues, but the findings point to a broader justice gap affecting millions.
“Land disputes affected a large portion of the population and were among the most persistent legal problems reported.
By the final year of the study, they accounted for 24 per cent of all unresolved, long-lasting cases.
“These disputes were also less likely to be resolved through formal mechanisms.
“Many people turned instead to direct negotiation or community leaders, often citing the high cost and complexity of formal justice processes as key reasons for avoiding the courts,’’ she said.
The Country Rep said that domestic violence was reported by 30 per cent of respondents during the study.
“This includes physical violence, emotional abuse, economic deprivation and sexual violence.
“The impact was profound, with survivors reporting stress-related illness, financial loss, harm to family relationships and even job loss.
“Although most people who resolved these problems said the outcome was fair, many others stopped taking action due to a lack of hope or trust in the justice system,’’ she said.
In the areas of key patterns and barriers she said the study shed light on several broader justice trends.
“Issues with neighbours and family members, for example, are likely to come back if the root causes are not addressed or if the original resolution was weak or informal.
“In such cases, formal systems are often bypassed entirely.
“Another finding is that long-lasting legal problems disproportionately affect urban poor communities.
“The majority of these cases were linked to land, domestic violence or debt,’’ she said.
She further said that in spite of the identified challenges, the report showed that people still tried to solve their problems, often through negotiation, family members or local leaders.
“The formal justice system is generally seen in a positive light, but many believe it is designed for lawyers rather than ordinary citizens.
“Trust in police is lower compared to other actors such as religious leaders or community authorities,’’ she said.
She said that as Nigeria sought to improve access to justice and reduce inequality, effective policy depended on a clear understanding of people’s experiences.
“The JNS 2025 report offers just that detailed, nationwide data collected over three years.
“Building on these insights, the report recommends continued, regular collection of people-centred justice data, alongside prioritising affordable, accessible and timely services.
“This includes better pathways for resolving land and domestic violence disputes and more support for informal and community-based resolution mechanisms,” she said.
She said the report showed the justice gap in Nigeria was real and growing, adding that with the right tools and political will the gap could be closed.
“This makes the report a powerful tool for policymakers and justice providers working to improve access to justice in the country.
“What makes this report especially valuable for decision-makers is the detailed evidence it provides on the scale and persistence of justice problems that people are unable to resolve.
“It highlights where current systems fall short and where people are left to navigate complex problems on their own,’’ she said.
Bengt van Loosdrecht, the Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria in his speech, reiterated that justice should not be a luxury but a commodity for everyone.
Mr Sunny Daniel, a journalist and member of the governing council of the National Human Rights Commission, said the report should serve as an alarm bell to stakeholders.
“What is released today shows we are still far away from where we desire to be. So let us go back and do more.(NAN)
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, African women in land professions have called for policies that would boost women’s access to land and remove gender disparity.
They also called for the involvement of more women in land management across the African continent.
The women’s demands are part of the resolutions of the First African Women Land Professionals Associations (AWLPA) Conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Conference was convened by the International Federation of Surveyors-African Regional Network (FIG-ARN).
The communique made available to NAN, was signed by Ambassador Mohammed Kabir, the Chairperson of FIG-ARN, and Mr Izuegbu Uju, Conference Secretary.
The conference called for more land rights programmes to promote public awareness, eliminate gender disparity, and increase the number and visibility of women in land management in Africa.
It encouraged all stakeholders to sustain the push for policy, legal and institutional reforms to increase women leadership positions in land governance.
It also advocated the adoption of a whole-of-the community approach in addressing the challenges faced by women in African societies.
The conference, which witnessed a series of presentations, deliberations, panel and brainstorming sessions, advocated the development of a Strategic Capacity Development Framework (SCDF) for African women land professionals.
“The framework shall focus on e-learning, training, coaching, mentoring, digital skill acquisition and support programmes to empower women in land professions in Africa,” the communique said.
It urged FIG-ARN to collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as UN Women and the African Union Land Governance Strategy, on advocacy and implementation of frameworks for gender equality in land governance.
It suggested the introduction of gender quota to address disparities in land allocation in African communities.
The conference emphasised that the FIG-ARN should seek support of the African Union(AU), and other relevant stakeholders to develop an African cross-border knowledge transfer platform and other programmes for the empowerment of women land professionals.
It also emphasised the need for the promotion and integration of women education and industry in Africa.
The conference participants urged Universities and institutions of higher learning in Africa to improve their curricula and provide practical support toward promoting and integrating the womenfolk.
They urged FIG-ARN to develop and support actionable strategies within the framework of the African Union Land Governance Strategy, with focus on women land rights clinic days.
Some of the participants at the First African Women Land Professionals Associations Conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
FIG-ARN was also urged to champion community-level awareness campaigns for guaranteeing equal rights to land, protecting women’s land tenure security, and respecting women’s independent decisions on land matters in Africa.
The conference pressed for coordinated international and regional support to African countries to adopt and implement a fit-for-purpose approach to land administration.
Such approach, it said, should ensure affordable land recordation and facilitate registration of continuum of land rights, particularly on issues that are of critical concern to women.
It urged donor agencies to increase funding in support of women’s land rights programmes for promoting public awareness and eliminating gender disparity while increasing the number and visibility of women in land management.
It encouraged stakeholders to sustain the push for institutional reforms to have more women in the making of government decisions that affect land governance.
It also advocated a more positive approach to the challenges faced by women in African societies.
The conference called on African women land professional associations to foster closer collaboration with international, regional, and community women’s rights groups.
It identified the groups to include UN Women, Landesa, Stand for Her Land Campaign, and International Land Coalition.
“The partnership should focus on benchmarking, capacity building, and implementation of gender-specific projects,” the communique added.
It noted the resolve of the Tanzanian government toward implementing positive policies for gender balance and equal representation in both elective and appointive offices, and particularly appreciated the attempts at extending those policies into the land governance sector.
NAN reports that the conference formed the Network of African Women Land Professional Associations (NAWLPA), under the auspices of the FIG-ARN, to manage and coordinate the implementation of the resolutions.
The election of its leadership is to be held at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the 2nd AWLPA Conference slated to hold from 10 to14 November, 2025.
Among delegates at the Conference were the President of FIG, Dr. D. A. Dumashie, and the representative of AU Commission, Dr Janet Edeme.
Also at the Conference was Mr Hans Ni, Secretary-General of the Working Committee on International Exchange and Cooperation of China Association for Geospatial Industry and Sciences. (NAN)
The Niger Commissioner for Land and Survey, Mr Maurice Magaji, on Wednesday appeared in Minna High Court 2 to defend the state government in a land case.
He disclosed this in an interview with newsmen shortly after his appearance in the court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case involved the state government’s interest in acquiring land around Gurara community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the land is situated at the Gurara waterfall, which is to be developed into a world-class resort.
“There are many cases on our table, and my active participation will help expedite the resolution process.
“As a lawyer, I will continue to appear in court when necessary, defending the government and ensuring that we meet the expectations of our people.”
The case was filed by eight plaintiffs from Gurara community in Nov. 2024 against the state governor and commissioner as the first and second defendants.
Magaji added that his presence in court was necessitated by the paucity of lawyers handling cases for the ministry and also to encourage the counsels to put in their best.
“Today, I appeared in court to advocate for the state on this matter of land acquisition.
“My appearance is not just because of the limited number of lawyers we have but also to boost the morale of our legal team and ensure that cases are handled with the utmost commitment,” he said.
The commissioner emphasised that his decision to personally appear in court was aimed at strengthening the ministry’s defense in critical land matters.
Magaji further stated that this proactive step would occasionally involve him directly participating in court proceedings as it involves the ministry.
He noted that his role as commissioner goes beyond administrative duties such as treating files, adding that he intended to actively defend the state’s interests in court.
Magaji further noted that the ministry was grappling with numerous unresolved legal cases, some of which have dragged on for years.
According to him, this is about being proactive and ensuring that we do not allow cases to linger indefinitely.”(NAN)
Former President Muhammadu Buhari once rejected an offer of land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during his tenure.
Buhari’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
He was reacting to reports that a piece of land belonging to the former president was seized by the FCT authorities.
” As a person, the former president has a plot of land to his name in Abuja,” he said.
Shehu said Buhari rejected the offer of land when he and his cabinet members were invited to fill forms for allocation.
He said the former president had insisted he already had land in the FCT and asked the authorities to give to those who did not have.
” President Buhari is personally not the owner of the said plot of land which is allocated in the name a “Muhammadu Buhari Foundation,” he stated.
Shehu said the foundation was itself floated lawfully by some ‘utilitarian individuals’ around Buhari.
The foundation, he added, was supported by some well-meaning persons.
He said the promoters of the foundation, however, ran into a ” road block” when the Federal Capital Development Authority gave them an ”outrageous” bill for the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy.
Shehu said the bill did not compare with the bills given to similar organisations.
” It may have been that this was not erroneous, but a deliberate mistake, making the revocation of land as no surprise to anyone,” he said.
He urged those engaging in speculations on social media to ”get their facts right and stop dragging down the name of the former president.” (NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
X
Welcome to NAN
Need help? Choose an option below and let me be your assistant.
