Anambra sets December 31, 2026 deadline for C of O recertification

Anambra landowners have until December 31, 2026, to recertify old Certificates of Occupancy or risk losing access to key services at the state Ministry of Lands.

The ministry said the old land administration system would be shut down indefinitely after the deadline. Holders of unrecertified documents would then be unable to process transactions including mortgages, Deeds of Assignment, Certified True Copies and registrations of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney through the ministry.

The requirement forms part of the state’s move to update existing land records and transfer them to the Anambra State Geographic Information System, known as ANAMGIS. Titleholders must have their documents recertified and their records captured in the database before they can continue using the affected services under the new system.

The ministry disclosed the deadline in a public notice dated September 1, 2026, signed by Permanent Secretary Nkeiru Mokwe. It said the recertification exercise remains ongoing and urged landowners who have not started the process to submit their applications without delay.

The notice does not state that an old Certificate of Occupancy will automatically become invalid on December 31. Instead, the immediate consequence of failing to recertify will be restricted access to specified land transactions requiring ministry processing.

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Be advised that the old system will be shut down indefinitely on the 31st day of December, 2026, after which the holders of the old Certificates of Occupancy will no longer be able to carry out any transactions such as Mortgages, Deed of Assignment, Certified True Copy, Registration of Power of Attorney etc., unless their documents have been duly recertified and captured in the ANAMGIS database.