Wike Signs 26,272 C-of-Os in Three Years, Surpassing 13-Year Record

The Federal Capital Territory Administration says FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has signed 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. This figure surpasses the 13-year record of C-of-Os produced and signed by previous administrations.

To put this into perspective, 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. These figures pale in comparison to the record number achieved by Wike in just three years.

According to Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, many beneficiaries of the 26,272 C-of-Os signed under Wike received their land allocations more than 10 years ago. This means that the long wait for a Certificate of Occupancy is finally over for these landowners.

The streamlined process for issuing C-of-Os introduced by the FCT Administration, including the automated notification system, has significantly reduced the time it takes for land allottees to receive their documents. With a payment made, land allottees can now get their C-of-O within two weeks. An automated notification system informs land allottees when their documents are ready for collection.

But what does this achievement mean for the people directly affected by the land allocation process? The measures put in place by the FCT Administration aim to improve access to property documentation and facilitate business financing in the nation's capital. However, the massive number of C-of-Os signed under Wike has also raised concerns about the administration's land allocation process.

While some landowners have finally received the land documents they waited for so long, others are worried about the potential consequences of the rapid land allocation process. The introduction of the automated notification system and the reduction in the time it takes to receive a C-of-O have been hailed as a welcome development by many landowners.