ACRC, Borno partner to secure C-of-O for low-income residents
By Tada Juthan, Maiduguri
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Engr. Adam Bababe, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to improving land management and contiguous urban development in the state.
According to him, the efficient land management will ensure the low-income residents own land titles, including certificates of occupancy (C-of-O).
Bababe disclosed this on Thursday during a courtesy visit of the Chief Executive Officer of the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), Prof. Diana Miltin, in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Highlighting the agency’s efforts in modernising land administration, he stated, “We’ve digitalised land administration records to simplify land titling processes across the state.”
He said that this will encourage more people to own land legally for both residential and commercial uses. The Executive Secretary said, “The Systematic Land Titling (SLT) program launched in 2022 has significantly increased the conversions of customary land titles to statutory ones.
Besides the conversions of land titles, he stated, “BOGIS is working to integrate statutory and customary land rights into a single digital database for an efficient land administration.
He said the data capture has been completed for the low and medium-density areas of Maiduguri. He noted that the undeveloped and high-density neighbourhoods are still ongoing in the Maiduguri metropolis.
Bababe, therefore, sought the support of ACRC to train BOGIS staff, particularly in the areas of Geographic Information System (GIS). Prof. Mitlin explained to Bababe that ACRC is a project under the University of Manchester and funded by a Global Development Institution (GDI).
“The development institution focuses on research-driven urban solutions,” she said, as well as governance and economic development.She pledged to support 100 women in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Council.
According to her, ACRC is to secure land titles with payments of application fees for an additional 1,000 residents in Maiduguri. Mitlin also commended the agency for its proactive approaches to land ownership among women to empower them to boost their livelihoods.
