- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has partnered with a renowned UK-based professional body specialized in agricultural and rural valuation, Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), over review and update of compensation rates for public land acquisition.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Housing and Urban Development Minister on Media & Strategy, Mark Chieshe.
As contained in the statement, 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 ministry partnered with the professional body at an ongoing Knowledge Exchange Programme in London.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijani Gwarzo, emphasized the significance of the partnership in the context of Nigeria’s ongoing land reforms.
He noted that the programme marks a critical step in the country’s efforts to review, update and harmonize land compensation rates and standards in line with global best practices.
“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 said.
He further highlighted the challenges faced in implementing the Land Use Act of 1978, which defines the process of compulsory land acquisition and compensation for affected landowners.
These challenges include the outdated compensation rates and the absence of a nationwide, scientifically grounded structure for determining compensation.
The partnership with CAAV, according to Gwarzo, is expected to provide critical insights and methodologies for ensuring that compensation rates are updated in real time and meet 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,” the Minister added.