17th May, 2011
The Lagos State Government says it has netted N13.23 billion from the sale of land in the last one year.
This represents a decline when compared to how much it generated from land transaction in 2009 which stood at N18.55 billion. The drop is attributed to the harsh economy situation.
Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola said the ministry was given a target of N15.8 billion and that it was able to net in N13.23 billion, representing 83.61 percent success.
“The revenue performance is however lower than the figure generated in 2009 but percentage wise, it is higher than the previous. That is, in 2010, the Bureau achieved 83.61 percent performance while 66 percent performance was achieved in 2009.
“Apart from the lower performance of revenue generation which was due to the global economic recession that affected almost all countries of the world, the Bureau was faced with the reality of almost all its land scheme fully subscribed and closed for further allocation,†he said.
Muri-Okunola, who spoke at a ministerial news conference today at the Bagauda Kautho Press Centre, Secretariat, Alausa, in Ikeja, Lagos , South West Nigeria added that the state government was working assiduously on new land schemes that would be provided with adequate infrastructure.
According to him, in spite of the challenging operational environment that prevailed during the period under review, the Bureau would work relentlessly to increase the revenue performance of 2011.
“This is due to the fact that the bureau is going to intensify efforts on regularisation activities programme on the alarming rate of purchase of government acquired lands and the building of structures on such land without approved developmental plans and valid titles.
“Many of the new avenues to tap additional revenues would be added this year. This is to increase our capacity to surpass our budget provision this year,†he stated.
He also disclosed that the state government generated N57.92 billion from the sale of land in the last four years. He further disclosed that N11.5 billion was generated from the granting of governor’s consent on land in the last four years.
On revocation and compensation claims, the permanent secretary disclosed that between April 2009 and March 2011, N1.6 billion was paid as compensation to the communities and families whose lands were acquired for public interest.
He added that N1.08 billion was also paid as compensation from April 2010 to March 2011, saying that the budgetary provision for compensation in 2011 was adequate enough to accommodate all current financial liability for payment of compensation due in 2011.
“A way to avoid of budgetary provision in the future is to ensure that all agencies requiring land for public project that will require payment of compensation must notify the Lands Bureau on time before its budget proposal is made.â€
—Kazeem Ugbodaga