By Jimmy Fatunbi
The Executive Chairman of Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Moyosore Adebanjo, received a delegation from the World Bank alongside officials from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development at the council secretariat, as part of an ongoing engagement to better understand land administration and property rights systems at the local government level in Nigeria.
During the visit, the delegation highlighted the importance of engaging local government authorities in discussions around land governance, particularly in relation to customary land rights and property documentation.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mr. Camille Bourguignon, Senior Land Administration Specialist at the World Bank; expressed appreciation for the warm reception and emphasized the importance of local government participation in national land administration reforms.
According to Mr. Camille, while the World Bank has historically focused its engagements at the state level, it has become increasingly important to understand how land administration functions at the grassroots level.
The delegation further explained that their mission is to better understand the linkage between local government authorities and national land administration programs, particularly in the context of the digitization of land records.
They noted that the long-term goal is to establish a harmonized digital land system where all records, federal, state, customary, and private are digitized and interlinked on a single platform.
Hon. Moyosore Adebanjo provided insights into the operational framework of land administration within the local government structure in Lagos State.
He explained that while local governments may utilize land for certain purposes, the ultimate authority and ownership of land remain vested in the State Government.
He further noted that land acquisition and allocation processes are largely managed by the State Government, which determines the availability and authorized use of land within local government areas.
During the discussion, the World Bank delegation also sought clarification on the nature of land classification within the council area. In response, the Executive Chairman confirmed that the entire Onigbongbo LCDA falls within an urban classification.
