Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah, of Enugu State, has signed the Land Use Regulation 2025 as well as Executive Order No. 1, 2025, designating some areas in the state as urban areas in accordance with his powers under the land use act 1978.
In line with the provisions of the Executive Order entitled “Enugu State Designation of Land as Urban Areas,” the entire Enugu East, Enugu North, and Enugu South Local Government Areas of the state have been designated urban areas.
In the same vein, the entire Udi, Nkanu West, Nkanu East, and Nsukka Local Government Areas have been designated as urban areas.
Some areas not contained in the LGA were also designated urban areas. These include: Ndeabor Urban Area and Oduma Urban Area, both in Aninri LGA; Awgu Town Ihe, Agbogugu, Mgbowo, Isu-Awa, Mmaku, Ituku, and Owelli-Court; Aguobuowa and Oghe in Ezeagu LGA; Ogbede, Ukehe, and Aku in Igbo-Etiti; Enugu Ezike in Igbo Eze North LGA; Ibagwa Aka in Igbo Eze South LGA; and Ikem and Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
The Executive Order equally designated Oji-River, Ugwuoba, and Inyi in Oji-River LGA; Obollo-Afor and Orba in Udenu LGA; Umulokpa and Adani in Uzo-Uwani LGA as Urban Areas.
Mbah said the order was a major milestone and quite historic.
He said this was in line with the formal launch of the Enugu State Geographic Information System, ENGIS, “a system that is designed to fast-track application for land titles, and indeed other administrative functions relating to land.”
“This is really a major milestone towards our drive, not just to enhance the revenue of Enugu State, but to ensure ease of doing business where prospective applicants can easily know what their fees are and the timelines that the application will be processed.
“Therefore, with what we have done here today, there is no more hidden charges when you apply for whatever land transaction, whether it is for search, titles or indeed for whatever transactions you want to carry out relating to land in Enugu State.
“It is also going to end the era of double allocations, land grabbing, and all sorts of confusion that may have existed before now in our land management system. They have now come to an end with the signing of this regulation.
“We have also expanded areas that before now we have designated as rural areas.
“That means effectively that those living in those locations are now able to come forward and apply for their title document and they will be able to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy for the property and assets they have there. Again, this brings further clarity to our land management system.”
