The Enugu State Government has announced a major overhaul of its land administration system, slashing land-related charges by over 60 per cent and abolishing all illegal levies, including the widely criticised Ogbonecheagu fees, in a move aimed at boosting transparency, investment, and ease of doing business.
Under the new policy, ground rent, land use charge, and other property-related payments have been harmonised into a single annual Unified Land Use Charge payable through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ES-IRS).
Property owners will now make one payment yearly, whether their properties are located within estates or outside them.
Governor Peter Mbah announced the reforms on Thursday at a stakeholders’ townhall meeting on land sector development held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.
Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the Governor said the reforms were part of his administration’s broader economic transformation agenda designed to build a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly land administration system.
Prof. Onyia described land as the foundation of housing, infrastructure, agriculture, commerce, and investment, stressing that the government had since inception pursued deliberate reforms to modernise land governance, curb abuse, and restore public confidence in the land tenure system.
According to him, the new framework is anchored on transparency, digitisation of records, predictability in charges, and strict adherence to statutory procedures for land allocation, registration, and development control.
A key component of the reforms is the immediate abolition of Ogbonecheagu fees and other unauthorised charges imposed by some communities and local governments.
Prof. Onyia said Governor Mbah had declared such levies illegal following widespread complaints by residents and property owners.
He disclosed that a task force has been set up to enforce compliance, warning that individuals or groups found collecting illegal land-related charges would face sanctions.
Members of the public who are compelled to pay such levies were advised to submit evidence to Whistleblowing@enugustate.gov.ng for prompt government intervention.
The SSG explained that the reforms were guided by recommendations from a multi-stakeholder Committee on Land-Related Revenue and Administration constituted by the Governor to address issues of multiple taxation, extortion, and revenue leakages in the land sector.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie, said the administration had introduced critical policy and legal instruments to support orderly development.
He cited an executive order declaring nine of the state’s seventeen local government areas as urban areas to enhance planning and structured infrastructure growth.
Okorie also noted that the enactment of the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS) law has transformed land administration into a one-stop, fully digitised platform, eliminating missing files and enabling digital tracking of every plot of land in the state.
He added that applications for Certificates of Occupancy can now be processed online or through designated government offices, while the Property Protection Law signed by the Governor guarantees the security of legitimate property ownership and investor assets.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, announced new guidelines on building approvals, stating that structures within government-owned housing estates must obtain approval directly from the Ministry of Housing or the Housing Development Corporation.
He added that building approvals for properties in private estates within the Enugu municipal area would now be handled exclusively by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to eliminate overlaps and delays.
Nwatu further disclosed that Certificates of Occupancy for properties in both private and government estates will henceforth be issued directly to individual owners, strengthening title security and improving access to credit.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of ES-IRS, Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, said the newly enacted Tax Law was structured to place a higher burden on the wealthy while protecting low-income earners.
He urged residents to obtain their Tax Identification Numbers at no cost and comply with tax obligations to support effective development planning.
Responding to stakeholders’ concerns, Prof. Onyia announced the constitution of a committee chaired by the ENGIS Managing Director to address issues relating to land layouts and submit recommendations within one week.
The townhall meeting drew participation from government agencies, community landholders, estate developers, surveyors, town planners, property agents, lawyers, traditional rulers, town unions, investors, civil society organisations, and members of the public.
