Sanwo-Olu pledges digitisation of land-related transactions

Lagos State Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged his commitment with effect from 2021 to create an enduring business-driven property development market in the state through the digitisation of all land-related transactions.

Sanwo-Olu made the pledge while addressing property investors at the maiden Real Estate Marketplace Conference and Exhibitions organised by Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Lagos.

He disclosed that the Lands Bureau had already concluded plans for migration from its current mode of operations to a digital platform.

He highlighted that when the web-based platform becomes operational, there will be no need for applicants seeking for Certificates of Occupancy, survey and building plan approvals, to physically submit paper documents for authorisation.

The governor pointed out that the development would bring about quick turnaround time in land transactions and boost private investors’ confidence in the provision of home ownership models because the whole process would be accessible from homes and workplaces.

He stated that they cannot afford to disappoint private investors and applicants seeking real-time approval because the state is raising their capacity so that they can respond to the requests and discharge them.

He issued warning against sharp practices in the processing and issuance of necessary building documents, noting that when fully operational, the online procedure would curb unscrupulous practices in the issuance of C of O, building plans and other title documents.

He reassured of his administration’s commitment to mass housing through partnerships with the private sector and argued real estate investors and private developers to channel their investment into rebuilding the mainland.

He promised that all parts of the state, including the hinterlands, would receive attention in terms of infrastructural development.

“I need to charge the real estate investors that everybody needs not build in Sangotedo or Ibeju Lekki. Let us go to the mainland and start regeneration of the assets in that part of Lagos. This way, we would be redistributing wealth and creating opportunities for our citizens,” Sanwo-Olu pleaded.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, explained that the government was determined to bridge the housing deficit in the state by not just providing houses but also by creating an enabling environment for the private sector partnership to achieve a desired end.