Wike's FCT Ministry Issues 26,272 C-of-Os, Exceeding 13-Year Total

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has successfully processed and signed an impressive 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-Os) since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. This figure represents a significant increase of 17,575 documents compared to the 8,697 C-of-Os issued between 2010 and 2023.

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, released a statement on Sunday, detailing these achievements. He emphasized that this milestone aligns with President Tinubu’s 'Renewed Hope' agenda and aims to foster a more conducive environment for doing business within the FCT.

According to the statement, a breakdown of previous administrations' performance shows that during President Goodluck Jonathan's five-and-a-half-year tenure, 5,500 C-of-Os were produced and signed. In contrast, President Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year administration saw the issuance of 3,197 C-of-Os.

Olayinka further highlighted that many of the 26,272 beneficiaries under Minister Wike's leadership had received their land allocations over a decade ago. He underscored the importance of a C-of-O, explaining its utility as collateral for commercial loans, mortgages, and business expansion. Delays in obtaining these crucial documents, he added, often restricted access to vital funding for small and medium-sized enterprises.

To address past inefficiencies, the FCT Administration has streamlined the issuance process for these documents. A new automated notification system has been implemented to alert allottees when their documents are ready for collection. Olayinka stated, “The moment necessary payments are made, land allottees can now get their C-of-O within two weeks.” He attributed previous delays to administrative inefficiencies that discouraged landowners from completing their required payments.

Beyond C-of-Os, the FCT Administration has also granted 2,521 Consents to Assign and 177 Consents to Mortgage within the first three years of the Tinubu administration. This contrasts with 753 Consents to Assign and 180 Consents to Mortgage during the Jonathan administration, and 684 Consents to Assign and 164 Consents to Mortgage under Buhari.

For clarity, a Consent to Assign is a mandatory approval for transferring an interest in a property, while a Consent to Mortgage is required before a property can be used as security for a loan. The FCT Administration affirmed that these measures are part of a broader strategy to improve access to property documentation and facilitate business financing in Nigeria’s capital city.