|
Felis-guides and procedures document
|
|
|
Why Register my Land?
|
|
Land is registered to keep a record of Government's commitment to its citizens and to stem abuse or encroachment on allocations authorized and certified by it. The reason for registering land is to create and maintain a register of land and its ownership. The State Guarantees the accuracy of the register and the information on the register is available to the public. This results in a safe, simple and economic system for transferring and mortgaging land.
|
| |
| Why Do I Need C. of O? |
|
Since all land in Nigeria is vested in the government, you need C. of O. as evidence that Government has approved and authorized that the holder of the C. of O. to occupy and use the land described in the title document.
|
| |
| Can I Occupy and/or Develop Any Piece of Land Without C. of O? |
|
No - Any land possessed or occupied without an evidence of C. of O. is not tenable and may be illegal. The occupier is at best a squatter because no Government has authorized the use of the land. In addition, there is scarcely any bank (if any) that will provide financial support for the development of the land because there is no acceptable title document.
|
| |
| Can a Squatter Obtain C. of O? |
| In certain locations where Federal Government land that are encroached upon can no longer be used for the purpose it was acquired, the squatters on the land could be integrated by regularization of their occupancy by the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing . They may therefore be issued C. of O after proper application, thorough investigation, payment of statutory fees as well as penal charges. |
| |
| Who Prepares C. of O. in the Ministry? |
| All Federal Government lands in various states nationwide are managed by the Department of Lands and Housing of the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing. The department is therefore responsible for issuing C. of O. over Federal Government lands allocated by the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing. |
| |
| Can I Transfer My Interest in Land Duly Allocated to Me? |
| Yes, but before any duly certificated land is legally transferred, the transferor needs to obtain the Consent of the Minister responsible for land matters (or the Governor in the case of State C. of O.) |
| |
| Who Processes the Transfer? |
| It is processed by the Lands Department. |
| |
|
How is this Done?
|
| The applicant completes a form issued by the Ministry and supports it with a Deed of Assignment duly executed by the parties involved to evidence the transfer. |
| |
|
What Else Should be Done?
|
|
The application is processed for approval. If all the requirements are met, the consent would be granted.
|
| |
| How Long Does it Take to Process C. of O./Consent? |
|
It used to take many months before now. With new mechanism being introduced currently, it would be processed within twenty-one days from the date all the requirements are correctly provided.
|
| |
| What Could Cause Delay in Issuing C. of O.? |
|
Non-payment of assessed land charges by allottees would normally delay action. More importantly, when the title deed plan is not available C. of O. cannot be processed.
|
| |
| How do I Register My C. of O.? |
|
Registration is an essential part of the processing of C. of O. It is the last point in the issuance of C. of O. All C. of O. as well as approved Deed of Assignment/Sublease/Mortgage are directly forwarded to the Federal Lands Registry from Lands and Housing Department for indexing and archiving.
|
| |
| Where Do I Collect My C. of O. and/or Approved Deed of Assignment/Sublease/Mortgage? |
|
The list of C. of O. issued by the Ministry and secondary transactions approved are usually circulated to all Federal Controllers of Ministry of Works & Housing in the State Field offices concerned, as well as to the Federal Registrar of Deeds. The duly registered title documents are collectible at the Federal Lands Registry after they have been recorded and indexed.
|
| |
