Wike signs 26,272 C-of-Os in three years, surpassing 13-year record

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration announced that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has signed an unprecedented 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. This figure represents a substantial increase compared to previous administrations.

According to a statement by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, the number of C-of-Os signed under Wike is 17,575 more than the total of 8,697 issued between 2010 and 2023. The statement highlighted that during President Goodluck Jonathan's five-and-a-half-year tenure, 5,500 C-of-Os were signed, while President Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year administration saw 3,197 issued.

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To aid the ease of doing business in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, a total of 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) have been signed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, since the President assumed office.

This accelerated issuance is framed as part of President Tinubu's "Renewed Hope Agenda" and aims to enhance the ease of doing business within the FCT. Many beneficiaries of the recently issued C-of-Os had reportedly been waiting for their land allocations for over a decade. The administration emphasized that a C-of-O is crucial for accessing commercial loans, mortgages, and business expansion funding.

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This is against a total of 8,697 produced and signed between 2010 and 2023. During the five and a half years administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, a total of 5,500 Certificates of Occupancy were produced and signed while 3,197 were produced and signed during the eight years administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The FCT Administration has implemented measures to expedite the C-of-O process, including an automated notification system to alert allottees when their documents are ready for collection. The goal is to enable allottees to receive their C-of-Os within two weeks of making the necessary payments. Delays in previous administrations were attributed to inefficiencies that discouraged landowners from completing payment processes.

In addition to C-of-Os, the administration has also processed a significant number of other property-related documents. Between May 2023 and the present, 2,521 Consents to Assign and 177 Consents to Mortgage were granted. This contrasts with 753 Consents to Assign and 180 Consents to Mortgage under the Jonathan administration, and 684 Consents to Assign and 164 Consents to Mortgage during the Buhari era. A Consent to Assign is required for property transfers, while a Consent to Mortgage is needed before a property can be used as collateral for a loan.

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The moment necessary payments are made, land allottees can now get their C-of-O within two weeks. Also, an automated notification has been introduced to ensure that land allottees are informed when their documents are ready for collection.