The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, has announced a landmark partnership with the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), a UK-based body specializing in agricultural and rural land valuation, to review and update Nigeria’s compensation rates for public land acquisition.
This collaboration aims to modernize the outdated compensation framework, with a focus on crops and economic trees, which has been in place since 2008.
The announcement, contained in a statement on the official Ministry’s website, was made during the Knowledge Exchange Programme held in London on September 15, 2024.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijani Gwarzo, highlighted the significance of the partnership, emphasizing that it is part of Nigeria’s broader efforts to reform land governance and ensure that compensation rates align with global best practices while remaining sustainable for the future.
“The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has begun a landmark partnership with the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), a renowned UK-based professional body specializing in agricultural and rural valuation.
“The collaboration aims to leverage the expertise, knowledge and experience of CAAV towards finalizing the long overdue review and update of methodologies for compensation rates for public land acquisition in Nigeria, with a focus on crops and economic trees,” the statement read in part.
The collaboration with CAAV is expected to provide Nigeria with the tools needed to establish a real-time, scientifically grounded compensation framework.
The project is led by the National Technical Development Forum (NTDF) on Land Administration and aims to create a national repository of reference rates for compensating crops and economic trees affected by public land acquisitions.
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Minister Gwarzo also acknowledged the challenges in implementing the Land Use Act of 1978, which governs compulsory land acquisition and compensation for affected landowners.
- He noted that outdated rates and the absence of a national compensation structure have hindered fair and transparent land acquisition processes.
- At the event, technical presentations were delivered by Professor Olurotimi Kemiki, Lead Consultant on the draft Compensation Rates Methodology, and Jeremy Moody, Secretary and Adviser at CAAV, both of whom expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the partnership.
- The Knowledge Exchange Programme will continue throughout the week, with both parties sharing insights and experiences to contribute to the Ministry’s final report, expected to be presented in October 2024.
The statement emphasized the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s land acquisition processes are fair, transparent, and aligned with international standards.