The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has embarked on a significant collaboration with the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, a distinguished UK-based organization specializing in agricultural and rural valuation.
This partnership, unveiled during a Knowledge Exchange Programme held in London on Sunday, seeks to revamp and modernize compensation rates for public land acquisition in Nigeria, with a particular focus on crops and economic trees.
According to The PUNCH, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Media & Strategy to the Minister, Mark Chieshe, the significance of this collaboration was highlighted.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, emphasized the importance of this initiative as part of Nigeria’s broader land reform efforts.
At the event, Gwarzo underscored the pivotal nature of this partnership, asserting, “This collaboration is vital to our ongoing reforms, designed to tackle the systemic challenges in land governance and administration. By leveraging the specialist knowledge of institutions like CAAV, we are confident in developing a framework that is both effective and sustainable.”
Gwarzo elaborated that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ministry has been actively addressing inefficiencies within the country’s land value chains.
A key aspect of these reforms is the much-needed update of compensation rates, which have remained stagnant since 2008. He pointed out the issues arising from outdated rates established under the Land Use Act of 1978, which governs compulsory land acquisition and compensation.
“These challenges include the outdated compensation rates and the absence of a nationwide, scientifically grounded structure for determining compensation,” Gwarzo stated.
To address these issues, the government, through the National Technical Development Forum on Land Administration, has been working to create a revised compensation framework.
The partnership with CAAV is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring that the new compensation rates align with current realities and international standards.
“Our engagement with CAAV will enable us to apply critical professional input in the work we have already done to finalize and develop national reference rates for compensating crops and economic trees in public land acquisition. This will help us implement a dynamic, updatable, and scientifically based central repository of rates for use in various projects,” Gwarzo added.
The Knowledge Exchange Programme featured presentations by Professor Olurotimi Kemiki, the Lead Consultant to the Ministry on the draft Compensation Rates Methodology, and Jeremy Moody, Secretary and Adviser of CAAV.
Moody expressed the association’s enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “The association is pleased to work with the Ministry towards achieving its objectives.”
The exchange program will extend over the week, with both parties anticipated to share valuable insights. The outcomes of these discussions are expected to culminate in a comprehensive report, which the Ministry plans to present in October 2024.
