By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has produced and signed 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) since the inception of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The milestone was disclosed in a statement on Sunday, August 16, 2026, by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka. According to the FCT Administration (FCTA), the initiative is aimed at easing the process of doing business, resolving long-standing land titling backlogs, and unlocking commercial value for property owners in Abuja.
Comparative Analysis of C-of-O Issuances (2010 – 2026)
The 26,272 title documents signed under President Tinubu represent a 202% increase compared to the 8,697 C-of-Os issued across the previous 13 years combined (2010–2023):
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Goodluck Jonathan Administration (2010–2015): 5,500 C-of-Os issued over 5.5 years.
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Muhammadu Buhari Administration (2015–2023): 3,197 C-of-Os issued over 8 years.
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Bola Tinubu Administration (2023–2026): 26,272 C-of-Os signed under FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ FCT CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY (C-of-O) COMPARISON │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Jonathan Era (2010–2015) : 5,500 C-of-Os │
│ • Buhari Era (2015–2023) : 3,197 C-of-Os │
│ • Tinubu Era (2023–2026) : 26,272 C-of-Os │
│ │
│ • Total Consents Granted : • 2,521 Consents to Assign │
│ • 177 Consents to Mortgage │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Key Policy Reforms & Additional Property Approvals
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Two-Week Turnaround Time: The FCTA has streamlined land titling procedures, enabling land allottees to receive their formal C-of-O within two weeks of completing all requisite statutory payments.
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Automated Allottee Notifications: Systemic inefficiencies have been addressed by introducing automated notifications to alert land allottees immediately when their title documents are finalized and ready for collection.
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Unlocking Credit & Mortgages: Many land allottees who received their titles under the current drive had waited for allocations made over 10 years ago. The documentation enables landowners to access bank loans, commercial mortgages, and equity expansion.
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Property Consents Approved: In addition to C-of-Os, the administration granted 2,521 Consents to Assign and 177 Consents to Mortgage, compared to 753 Consents to Assign / 180 Consents to Mortgage under Jonathan, and 684 Consents to Assign / 164 Consents to Mortgage under Buhari.
