The full implementation of the Geographic Information System, GIS, in Land administration in Anambra State will soon begin as the installation process has reached advanced stage.
The Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Bonaventure Enemali made this revelation while speaking with journalists in Awka where he explained that the automated system will reduce the delay people experience in acquiring Lands and getting title documents in the State a thing of the past.
ABS understands that the implementation was delayed due to the closure of boundaries, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Land acquisition and ownership are some of the major challenges facing the development of any urban population and success in addressing these two challenges, seen by most city planning experts as hydra-headed monster will determine to a larger extent how a particular society will become sustainable for its inhabitants.
This is why the present Anambra State Government led by Governor Willie Obiano introduced different land reforms in order to reduce the time frame that it takes to acquire a Land and obtain its title documents such as the transfer of the signing of certificate of occupancy for private lands to the Attorney General of the State which now makes it easy for one to obtain the C of O within fourteen days.
This reform was acknowledged by the 2018 World Bank sub-national Doing Business Report Series which singled out Anambra State Government and praised it for the cutting by half, the usual time needed to complete the requirements for registering a property and obtaining title deeds for Lands.
The World Bank Sub-national Doing Business Report Series is a four year term document that compares business regulations for domestic firms in the thirty six states of the Federation, the Federal Capital Territory and other one hundred and eighty nine economies to measure how far they meet international best practices in the ease of doing business.
Not resting on the oars of the praise from this report, the Land Commissioner, Mr Enemali says the Ministry has and is introducing more reforms in Land administration in the State to make it easier for people to acquire Lands and obtain their title documents as fast as possible.
According to Mr Enemali, the Geographic Information system which Governor Obiano signed to be enabled by Techbridge when fully implemented will help people seeking to acquire Lands easier access to available lands in the State, automate land search, reduce double allocation, prevent land grabbing and ultimately increase the ability to acquire land documents online through a safe and secure means.
While conducting Journalists round the proposed Centre for the installation of Geographic information system, the Lands Commissioner explained that the Ministry has also introduced the Electronic Data Management System which will reduce human to human contacts and has made its payment schedules for all fees being made payable to government to reduce the possible sharp practices that were hitherto in practice when the payment schedule was a secret document.
He therefore beckoned on investors to maximize the opportunities made available by ongoing Land reforms in the State to think Anambra.
Credit- Punch