Under Governor Alex Otti’s administration, Abia State has recorded over 100 per cent increase in the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy (CofO) to property owners, according to data on the Abia State Government website.
The state’s Ministry of Land and Housing data covers 13 years, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2024.
The south-eastern state issued 1037 CofOs to property owners in 2024, the highest for the period, while the lowest, 214, was recorded in 2020.
The second-highest number of CofO issued by the Abia State Government within the period is 526, in 2016, while the third-highest is 500, in 2015.
CofO is a government document, usually signed by a state governor, that authenticates a property’s ownership. When a property owner receives a CofO from the government, he can sell or use the property for a mortgage or other transactions. In some states in Nigeria, the issuance of CofO is delayed, business transactions are slowed, and entrepreneurs and investors are frustrated.
Mr Alex Otti was sworn in on 29 May 2023 as the fifth elected governor of Abia.
The data further shows that of the 1037 CofOs the Abia State Government issued to property owners in 2024, 743 belonged to men, 83 to women, 81 to joint owners, and 130 to others.
Reason behind the numbers
Chaka Chukwumerije, the commissioner for land and housing in Abia, explained what Mr Otti’s administration is doing differently regarding the issuance of CofOs.
“Abia delivers CofO in 30 days. It’s a policy!” Mr Chukwumerije told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, 21 September.
“There is enhanced transparency, accountability, and focus on service delivery. Your transaction is monitored from the time it comes in until it goes.
“There is greater confidence in the system. If people know that they can get their CofO seamlessly without going through any middleman, it encourages people to apply for their CofO.”
Mr Chukwumerije said the governance system in Abia is still being automated. He said that when the automation is fully completed and new residential and industrial estates are opened, the number of CofOs will be “off the charts.”
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“The governor signs CofO within 24 hours of being sent to him. The governor’s signing process is automated – we upload it, he signs through his electronic signature, and it gets back to us.
“We have a one-stop customer service, so when you come to the Ministry of Land to process your CofO, you don’t have to travel to the bank anymore; the bank is there, the tax office is there, the surveyor’s office is there, you can finish all your transactions in one day.
“In September alone, the governor has signed over 350 CofOs. By the end of 2025, we may be hitting over 2000 CofOs,” the commissioner said.
