Governor Simon Bali Lalong


By Daniel Dauda, Jos



Stakeholders in Land administration and revenue generation on the Plateau have agreed strict voluntary compliance to revenue drive for effective economic development of the state.

This form part of the resolutions reach upon at the end of the stakeholders' engagement on " efficient lands administration and revenue generation", held on Tuesday at Eliel Center, Gold and Best, Jos the state capital.

The stakeholders engagement sensitization was organized by the ministry of Lands, survey and Town planning, Plateau State.

According to Plateau Commissioner of Lands, survey and Town planning, Yakubu Dati," it is beyond argument that the world over land based revenue is the new black gold of the 21st century even more so with the dwindling income generated from crude oil occasioned by alternative means of energy such as solar and biofuel which is eroding the dependence hitherto placed on crude oil.

"In Plateau State, land based revenue has remained hugely untapped and the returns from the sector in dire need of a turn around. It is for this and other reasons that the Management of the Ministry deemed it necessary to organize this stake holders’ engagement in order to bring both professionals, Technocrats, development partners and clients of the ministry under one roof to brain storm on the way forward and to chart a way forward for the growth and development of the state through increased revenue generation."

Dati pinpoint five (5) priority areas which the ministry intends to leverage upon to improve revenue generation in the state. These includes:
(a) enumeration of properties in the state
(b) mandatory recertification of all certificates of occupancy
(c) standardization of conversion of titles from customary to statutory 
(d) massive issuance of demand notice for payment of ground rent
(e) commencement of recertification within the Miango and Rantya layout.

He also said the process of obtaining titles is being simplified as well as the medium of payment of fees by the ongoing integration between the Ministry and the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service to reduce public apathy in the payments of land based fees in the state.

A cross section of stakeholders at the engagement sensitization on lands administration and revenue generation

Vice Chancellor Plateau State University, PLASU, Bokkos, Professor Yohanna Izam acknowledged that land is a Common denominator to the Commonwealth as it is a factor in the wealth of Nations" but it depends on how we managed it".

 Izam who is President Nigeria institute of Builders, featured as keynote speaker stressed that regulatory and legal framework on land administration is key, as land issue goes beyond just revenue generation.

He lament that there is no University in Nigeria that is not been facing with challenges of land encroachment or other issues.

He charged Plateau Government to work assiduously in turning around the economic fortune of the state.

President Mikang traditional Council, His Royal Highness Donald Dajen, Pung Tel II said Government should do the needful and compensate people who they take over their lands and promised to compensate them.

The monarch assure that the traditional class will continue sensitizing their subjects on the need to complied with Government policies and programmes.

Participants call on the Government to continue providing enabling environment for business to thrive by addressing issues of multiple taxation, decentralization and monitoring, protection from encroachment, issuance of land papers, reduction of land cost amongst other challenges.