Mbah signs land use regulation to bring clarity into property transactions

…Creates new urban areas across local governments

The Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, has signed Land Use Regulation with the aim of bringing clarity into property transactions, noting that lack of transparency feeds corruption.

By this action, the governor exercised his powers under the Land Use Act 1978 with which he also signed Executive Order No. 1, 2025, designating some areas in the state as urban areas.

“This is a major milestone that we have just witnessed. This is quite historic. This again is in line with what we witnessed a few weeks ago when we formally launched Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS), a system that is designed to fast-track application for land titles, and indeed other administrative functions relating to land,” the governor said.

He added that the signing of the regulation would bring clarity into property transaction, noting that lack of transparency feeds corruption. “This is really a major milestone towards our drive, not just to enhance the revenue of Enugu State, but to ensure ease of doing business where prospective applicants can easily know what their fees are and the timelines that the application will be processed,” he said.

The governor assured that, with what they have done, there would be no more hidden charges when someone applies for whatever land transaction, whether it is for search, titles or indeed for whatever transactions he wants to carry out relating to land in the state.

“It is also going to end the era of double allocations, land grabbing, and all sorts of confusion that may have existed before now in our land management system. They have now come to an end with the signing of this regulation,” he said.

The governor announced that the state has also expanded areas that before now had been designated as rural areas, meaning that, effectively, those living in those locations are now able to come forward and apply for their title document and they will be able to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy for the property and assets they have there.

“Again, this brings further clarity to our land management system,” he said, disclosing that the entire Udi LGA, Nkanu West LGA, Nkanu East LGA, and Nsukka LGA have been designated as urban areas.

In the same vein, parts of some LGAs have been designated urban areas and these include Ndeabor Urban Area measuring 10km radius and Oduma Urban Area, measuring 20km radius both in Aninri LGA, and Agwu Town, measuring 25km radius.

Others are Ihe, Agbogugu, Mgbowo, Isu-Awa, Mmaku, Ituku, and Owelli-Court; Aguobuowa and Oghe in Ezeagu LGA; Ogbede, Ukehe, and Aku in Igbo-Etiti; Enugu Ezike in Igbo Eze North LGA; Ibagwa Aka in Igbo Eze South LGA; and Ikem and Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.

The Executive Order equally designated Oji-River, Ugwuoba, and Inyi in Oji-River LGA; Obollo-Afor and Orba in Udenu LGA; Umulokpa and Adani in Uzo-Uwani LGA urban areas.