From Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

The Abia State Government has attributed elimination of middlemen in the process of getting Certificates of Occupancy in the state to the successes recorded through land administration reforms.

The Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, who briefed newsmen on the activities of his ministry at the weekend, also said the ongoing mapping of the state, expected to end in May 2026, would further ease land administration as it would facilitate production of a master plan of the state thereby making structural planning easier.

Mr. Chukwumerije said the middlemen who usually fleece applicants have been eliminated from the process as a result of reforms introduced by the Ministry to clean up the untidy land administration the current government inherited, stressing that getting a C of O in Abia now is swift and seamless.

The Commissioner noted that government’s introduction of the policy of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy within 30 days of receipt of application since it came on board, has resulted in massive issuance of the land document.

“Since Governor Alex Otti assumed office in May 2023, a total of 3,256 Certificates of Occupancy have been issued, with 1,778 issued in 2025 alone, the highest ever in one year, from 1999; and this surpassed the total issued in the seven years preceding the coming of the current administration,” Chukwumerije said.

“The C of O in 30 Days policy has positively impacted the ease of doing business, facilitated access to mortgages, improved property security and enabled seamless transfer of titles,” the Commissioner added.

He said the Ministry achieved this feat by setting up a one-stop Service Centre which processes C of O applications in record time.

 “To ensure transparency and accountability,” he said, “every application is tracked from submission to completion. Obtaining your C of O is a seamless process, you do not need a middleman,” he explained and encouraged Abians to take advantage of government’s ongoing sensitization on the issuing of C of O policy to obtain their C of O with ease and also regularize their title documents.

The Commissioner disclosed that comprehensive mapping of Abia was ongoing and would be completed in May 2026.

He said the mapping would further enhance land administration through proper structural planning and production of a master plan of the state.

“An aspect of the activities of this Ministry is the mapping of the entire Abia. The size of Abia sits on over 4,000 square kilometers of land and the mapping of the state has commenced with the establishment of monuments which are geodetic control points across 66 locations in the state,” the Commissioner revealed.

“These images captured are what form a base map of Abia that gives us an accurate representation of the state of things in the state and also forms the basis for the structural/master plan of the state.

“This impact on land administration planning, identification of critical public and security assets,” he added.

However, the Commissioner equally announced that the Ministry has been strictly enforcing payment of statutory dues, including ground rents and changes in the Purpose Clause of titles, following the expiration of the waivers government had granted in 2023 and 2024.

Speaking on other activities of the Ministry, he said it has acquired lands for various government projects across several sectors, including aviation, housing, agriculture, industry, power, education and healthcare.

“Key acquisitions include the site for the Abia Airport in Nsulu and land linked to the Abia Palm project in Ukwa East and parts of Ugwunagbo,” he said.

He said the Ministry has revamped many public infrastructures, including the extensive renovations at the state secretariat where water and power supply, as well as security systems, have been restored, making the environment conducive for civil servants.

​