The new administration has brought significant changes to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Nyesom Wike as Minister. Most of those changes directly impact the Property sector, one of which is the new procedure for acquiring a Certificate of Occupancy in Abuja.
What the C-of-O is…
We had earlier written on the certificate of occupancy, arguably the most important document to prove that you own a piece of land in Nigeria. Generally, the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) is an official document issued by a government authority to certify that a building or property complies with the required building codes, regulations, and standards, and is safe and suitable for occupancy. It is proof that a property is legally authorized for use. It also emphasizes that the property can be occupied by the residents or businesses that applied for it.
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Previously, in Abuja, as in other Nigerian sub-national regions, obtaining the C-of-O goes through a procedure detailed earlier here. There are documents to acquire, fees to pay, and stamping to obtain. The Minister, Nyesom Wike recently revealed that previously, the FCT would charge N5 million to issue the C-of-O. The new cost is N3.5 million.
The New Costs
Towards the end of 2023, the FCT, under Wike, decided to pass all C-of-O holders through a re-certification process. This will allow for the secure identification of each holder of the document. Existing C-of-O owners will pay N50,000 for individuals and N100,000 for corporate entities to undergo the re-certification.
These changes became necessary after the ministry noticed issues that defeated the essence of the document. The Minister explained;
“There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot cloning of C-of-Os.”
The Cable
The C-of-O will not require your National Identification Number (NIN) or Bank Verification Number (BVN). And the new requirement begins with the recertification process.
Keywords: Obtaining Certificate of Occupancy in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria | Approvals | Government
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