The Edo State Government has said the ease and convenience in processing title documents for landed property has opened the state for economic growth and attracted several investors.
Managing Director, Edo State Geographic Information Service Agency (EdoGIS), Arch. Frank Evbuomwan, disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Benin City, Edo State.
According to Evbuomwan,“For the first time in the history of the State, prospective investors have confidence in land registration in the state.
“First, we have streamlined the process of acquiring the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) that used to take years and cost millions of naira. The price was brought down about 300 to 400 percent and the period of getting it has been reduced to about a few weeks.”
The EDO-GIS MD continued: “So, this has opened up the State to a lot of investors. For example, we have granted C-of-O to not less than five commercial entities who are investing in the various agricultural value chains like rice, oil palm, maize and many more.
We have issued C-of-Os to Dangote Industries, Farmforte Nigeria Ltd., Nosak Nigeria Ltd., and Okomu, among others.
“We have been able to assist them in getting documentation for the land. Furthermore, several private investors in hospitality and real estate business have come to EdoGIS and found a simplified and faster process of getting government titles for their lands.
“This initiative increases the buoyancy and vibrancy of Edo economy; investors are now sure that, in Edo State, there is an agency positioned to assist them in speedy access to documentation and titling of lands.”
“The EdoGIS has been helpful because we are coming from the past where investors have to contend with multiple C-of-Os on the same piece of land and various types of community issues. All these have been put in abeyance by the presence of EdoGIS,” he added
