Re-Certification of Titles — What Prospects for Sustainable Land Administration in Nigeria

Land is wealth because of its economic, social and legal qualities; It Is, therefore, desired both as a social and economic commodity. Every parcel of land has a bundle of rights which could be gathered together into one or exercised as an aggregate of rights and the volume of rights exercisable has direct influence on the market value. Land titling and registration are instruments for economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and social security. They are also factors for the social and political stability of a nation. This paper, therefore, addressed critical issues in the nations match towards sustainability in land use development, which has commenced with nation-wide title re-certification. The ultimate aim of our national land reform should be to develop appropriate land titling infrastructure to help unlock the wealth in our land resource. The economic value of land in Nigeria is largely untapped. It remains a dead capital until appropriately titled and registered. Titling and registration provide suitable records that could assist government to keep stock of land holdings and to generate revenue and these are the hallmark of a good land administration.