By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
THE Enugu State Government has announced sweeping reforms to the land sector, including the immediate abolition of illegal levies and the streamlining of land-related charges. This forms a key part of Governor Peter Mbah’s broader agenda for economic transformation.
The government confirmed that ground rent, land use charge, and all other property-related charges have now been unified and reduced by over 60 per cent. Property owners will now pay only a single, annual Unified Land Use Charge through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), irrespective of whether their properties are situated within estates or elsewhere.
Governor Peter Mbah made the announcement during a stakeholders’ town hall meeting on land sector development, held at the International Conference Centre in Enugu on Thursday.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia, the Governor stated his administration’s commitment to establishing a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly land administration system founded on legality, digitisation, and accountability.
He described land as the legal foundation for housing, infrastructure, agriculture, commerce, and investment. He stressed that since its inception, the 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,” he said, adding that effective land governance must be driven by continuous engagement with communities, professionals, investors, traditional institutions, and citizens.
A major highlight of the reforms is the immediate ban on the controversial Ogbonecheagu fees collected by some communities and local governments. Professor Onyia stated that Governor Mbah has declared all such fees illegal and directed their outright abolition following widespread complaints from residents.
A task force has been constituted to enforce compliance. Members of the public compelled to pay such illegal charges are urged to submit evidence to Whistleblowing@enugustate.gov.ng for prompt intervention.
The SSG further revealed that the reforms were informed by the recommendations of a multi-stakeholder Committee on Land-Related Revenue and Administration, constituted by the Governor to address complaints of multiple taxation and revenue abuse in the state.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barrister Chimaobi Okorie, said Governor Mbah has introduced critical policy directions and legal instruments. This includes an executive order declaring nine of the state’s seventeen local government areas as urban areas to enable proper planning and structured infrastructural development.
He also noted that the Mbah Administration enacted the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS) law to serve as a one-stop platform for land transactions and to drive the full digitisation of land processes and systems. According to him, land records are now fully harmonised, eliminating cases of missing files, while every plot of land in the state can be digitally tracked.
The Commissioner added that applicants seeking Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) can now apply online or visit designated government offices for seamless processing. He further noted that the Property Protection Law signed by Governor Mbah guarantees the security of legitimate property ownership and protects investors’ assets.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, announced that all buildings located in housing estates owned by the Ministry of Housing and the Housing Development Corporation must henceforth obtain building approval directly from the Ministry and the Corporation, regardless of their location.
He added that building approval for houses in non-government estates within the Enugu municipal area will now be processed exclusively by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) to eliminate jurisdictional overlaps and administrative delays.
Mr. Nwatu further announced that Certificates of Occupancy for all buildings in both private and government estates will now be processed directly for individual property owners, thereby strengthening security of title and improving assets’ bankability.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ES-IRS), Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, said the newly signed Tax Law was designed to place a greater tax burden on the wealthy while protecting low-income earners.
He urged residents to obtain their Tax Identification Numbers free of charge and to comply with tax filing requirements to enable the government to generate accurate data for development planning.
Responding to questions from participants, Professor Onyia announced the constitution of a committee chaired by the Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, to address complaints related to layouts and recommend practical solutions within one week for government consideration.
The town hall meeting attracted a broad section of stakeholders, including heads of government agencies, community landholders, estate developers, surveyors, town planners, property agents and lawyers, traditional rulers, town unions, business operators, religious organisations, financial institutions, civil society groups, development partners, and members of the public.
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