The Enugu State Government has announced far-reaching reforms in the land sector, including a reduction of land-related charges by over 60 percent and the immediate abolition of illegal levies, as part of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s economic transformation agenda.
Under the new policy, ground rent, land use charge and all property-related levies have been unified into a single annual Unified Land Use Charge, payable through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS).
Property owners, whether within government estates or outside them, will now make only one consolidated payment annually.
Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah announced the reforms at a stakeholders’ townhall meeting on land sector development held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Thursday.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the Governor said the reforms were aimed at building a transparent, efficient and investor-friendly land administration system anchored on legality, digitisation and accountability.
He described land as the legal foundation for housing, infrastructure, agriculture, commerce and investment, stressing that his administration has pursued deliberate reforms to modernise land governance, reduce uncertainty, curb abuse and restore public confidence in the land tenure system.
“These reforms are anchored on transparency, predictability, digitisation of records and strict adherence to statutory processes for land allocation, registration and development control,” Onyia said.
A major highlight of the reforms is the immediate ban on the controversial Ogbonecheagu fees collected by some communities and local governments.
The SSG said Governor Mbah had declared all such charges illegal following widespread complaints by residents and ordered their outright abolition.
A task force has been constituted to enforce compliance, while members of the public forced to pay illegal levies have been urged to submit evidence here for prompt intervention.
Onyia explained that the reforms were informed by recommendations of a multi-stakeholder Committee on Land-Related Revenue and Administration, set up to address complaints of multiple taxation and revenue abuse.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie, said the administration had introduced key policy directions and legal instruments to support structured development.
He disclosed that Governor Mbah issued an executive order declaring nine of the state’s seventeen local government areas as urban areas to enable effective planning and infrastructure delivery.
Okorie also said the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS) Law was enacted to serve as a one-stop platform for land transactions and drive full digitisation of land records.
According to him, land records have now been harmonised, eliminating missing files, while every plot of land in the state can be digitally tracked.
He added that applications for Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) can now be submitted online or processed physically at designated offices, while the Property Protection Law guarantees the security of legitimate property ownership.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, announced that all buildings in housing estates owned by the Ministry of Housing and the Housing Development Corporation must obtain building approvals directly from the Ministry and the Corporation, regardless of location.
He said approvals for buildings in private estates within Enugu metropolis will now be handled exclusively by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) to eliminate overlaps and delays.
Nwatu also announced that Certificates of Occupancy for properties in both government and private estates will now be processed directly for individual owners to enhance title security and asset bankability.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, said the newly signed Tax Law was structured to place a higher tax burden on the wealthy while protecting low-income earners.
He urged residents to obtain their Tax Identification Numbers free of charge and comply with tax filing requirements to enable accurate data-driven development planning.
Responding to stakeholders’ concerns, Onyia announced the constitution of a committee chaired by the ENGIS Managing Director, Mr. Nwatu, to address layout-related complaints and submit recommendations within one week.
The townhall meeting drew participants from across the public and private sectors, including government agencies, traditional rulers, estate developers, surveyors, town planners, lawyers, community landholders, financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners.
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