'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has initiated a significant partnership with the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), a prominent UK-based professional body, to review and update compensation methodologies for public land acquisition in Nigeria. The collaboration focuses on establishing more accurate compensation rates for crops and economic trees affected by compulsory land acquisitions.
The partnership was unveiled at the opening of a Knowledge Exchange Programme in London, where the Honourable Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijani Gwarzo, highlighted its importance in advancing Nigeria's ongoing land reforms. Minister Gwarzo noted that this initiative is a critical step in addressing outdated land compensation standards that have not been reviewed since 2008.
“This collaboration is vital to our ongoing reforms, designed to tackle the systemic challenges in land governance and administration. By leveraging the specialist knowledge of institutions like CAAV, we are confident in developing a framework that is both effective and sustainable,” Minister Gwarzo stated.
As part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s *Renewed Hope Agenda*, the Ministry is committed to modernizing Nigeria’s land value chains. One key aspect of these reforms is the update of the 2008 compensation rates, which have long failed to reflect the current economic realities or meet global standards. The Land Use Act of 1978, which governs land acquisition and compensation in Nigeria, has been fraught with implementation challenges, particularly due to these outdated rates and the lack of a scientific framework for determining fair compensation.
The Minister emphasized that the new partnership with CAAV will provide the technical expertise necessary to finalize a revised compensation regime. The goal is to create a dynamic, real-time, and scientifically grounded system for determining compensation, which will be applied to various land acquisition projects across the country.
“Our engagement with CAAV will enable us to apply critical professional input in the work we have already done to finalize and develop national reference rates for compensating crops and economic trees in public land acquisition. This will help us implement a dynamic, updatable, and scientifically based central repository of rates for use in various projects,” Gwarzo added.
During the event, key presentations were delivered by the Lead Consultant to the Ministry on the draft Compensation Rates Methodology, Professor Olurotimi Kemiki, and the Secretary and Adviser to CAAV, Jeremy Moody. In his address, Moody expressed CAAV’s enthusiasm for collaborating with Nigeria to achieve the objectives of the compensation review.
The Knowledge Exchange Programme is scheduled to continue throughout the week, with both parties expected to exchange valuable insights that will inform Nigeria’s revised compensation framework. The outcomes from this engagement will be incorporated into the Ministry’s final report, expected to be released in October 2024.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development remains committed to ensuring that land acquisition processes in Nigeria are fair, transparent, and in line with international standards, reinforcing the government’s drive for sustainable development.
