Abuja land availability challenges and mismanagement – Causes and solutions

It is a hotbed for political fermentation, such that generates centripetal attraction from all corners of the country, perhaps nowhere has the need for judicious use and preservation of exhaustive land resources become imperative in Nigeria today than the Federal Capital City.Justice T.A. Aguda Panel was set by the Federal Government, and empowered to examine […]

It is a hotbed for political fermentation, such that generates centripetal attraction from all corners of the country, perhaps nowhere has the need for judicious use and preservation of exhaustive land resources become imperative in Nigeria today than the Federal Capital City.
Justice T.A. Aguda Panel was set by the Federal Government, and empowered to examine the dual role of Lagos as a State and Federal Capital. It was also empowered to recommend a suitable alternative location should it determine that the Federal Capital be moved from Lagos. Among its recommendations were: A new capital is desirable that would be secured, ethnically neutral, centrally accessible, comfortable and healthful, and possesses adequate natural resources to provide a promising base for urban development. Consequently, an 8,000km2 land was carved out of the central region of the country to serve as the Federal Capital Territory for the the Nation.
There was a misconception that the original inhabitants’ population to be resettled was only between 25,000 and 50,000. However, a later survey in 1984 revealed that their actual population was about 150,000. More thgan 30 years later, this population has multiplied many times as a result of natural increase and migration.
Compensation and resettlement challenges
Before we can have the no-man’s land, we must resettle the whole original inhabitants of Abuja, within the circle of Zuba, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Dangara, Rubochi, Abaji, Kuje, Lugbe, Karshi, Karu, Nyanya, Bwari, Gwagwa, Karmo and many others that I did not mention. As citizens of Nigeria, they must be resettled and compensated before their area is deemed acquired by law.
It is pertinent to understand that the 8,000km2 as the size of the FCT, was not recommended by the International Planning Associates (IPA), the planning firm that produced the Abuja Master Plan, but by the FCT Location Committee, and has been defined in the 1976 FCT Decree even before the IPA was commissioned in June 1977 to plan the city, with the size as one of the terms of reference. Thus, the Abuja master plan has originally been designed with the concept that the whole area has already been evacuated.
It was later discovered that the number of the original inhabitants was grossly underestimated. The resettlement cost was astronomical, to the extent of being higher than the money needed for the city development. It therefore became necessary to change the resettlement policy from total evacuation to phases, depending on the actual area needed for the city development.
The fact now is that evacuation was effected only in areas covering the first phase of the city development. Even in the Phase I, there are remnants like the Garki village that were not resettled, but integrated. The majority of those in Phase II who are supposed to be resettled as far back as the early nineties are still to be resettled. In a plan of phased development spanning from phase I to phase V as it is today, when will all these resettlements take place? The local communities on the other hand are agitating that as bonafide citizens they must be resettled and compensated as required by law, before their abodes could be deemed acquired. Others are clamouring for integration. Thus, after more than 30 years, 250km2 out of 8,000km2 is yet to be totally available for the implementation of the capital city. Even if available providing the required infrastructure to enable development is another thing else.
Our development targets
The size of the FCC is 250km2, originally to be developed in 4 phases. It is expected to accommodate 1.7 million inhabitants at the end of phase III development. Phase IV is to accommodate the excess, up to 3.1 million.
At the district level for example where there are mass housing developments like, Lokogoma: Land budget is 391Ha, population target is 55,690, Mbora: Land budget is 479Ha, population target is 52,262, Dutse: Land budget is 506Ha, population target is 42,603, Dape: Land budget is 325Ha, population target is 48,658.
Incidents of mismanagement
In ideal situation what should precede plot allocation are land availability, layout design and provision of infrastructure. In order to avoid waste, plots sizes are supposed to be determined relative to the needs of the allotees. If ones need could be contained in 500m2, then any excess portion beside that is a colossal waste of the land resources. Many others that need it could not get because somebody already has the title.
In April 2012, the FCT Minister made a revealation at a stakeholders forum, that 90% of allocated plots in the FCT are not developed, which he attributed to lack of infrastructure. Because aggregate provision of infrastructure in the FCT since existence is not more than 25%. However, it is interesting to note that, till date there are many plots in Phase I that were provided with the infrastructure for almost 30 years, but without meaningful development or are fenced only.
The FCT Minister made further revealations at the stakeholders forum that the Malaysian Garden was allocated 510Ha at Saraji District to develop 10,000 housing units in 10 years, but 6 years after, in the year 2012 the progress was less than 2%.There are other incidents which the terms of agreement are far from being complied with years after allocation. These include the Sunrise Estate Development at Kugbo, with size of 382.58Ha, under a BOT arrangement of 20 years minimum and 25 years maximum. Another is the American Hospital project.
Information we got from the Development Control is that of Plot 464 Gaduwa District. It is zoned for public use according to the master plan, district market to be precise. But, a developer has developed the plot into a housing estate without any building plan approval. So, also plot 465 which is originally a district park. Plot 262 Dutse District is designated as a secondary school but allocated for mass housing.
Recently, there is another very disturbing revealation. It is plot no 2 cadastral zone E13 Gude District sized 465Ha. The outrageous allocation was made to an Accenture Associates Ltd, with adress as no. 3104 Mpape, Kaduna Abuja Expressway. The allocation was made dated just only 2 months to the end of the administration. It is now in the property market, being spaculated for billions of naira.Still there are large hecter allocations of the Ebele and Obasanjo farms.
Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) is to make recommendation for lands allocations, but allocations are at times made before reverting to the LUAC.
Problems with the mass housing allocations
Allocation in excess of the laid down rules of 10Ha for the city and 20Ha for regional areas, Illegal subdivision and sale of plots rather than the finished houses as stipulated in the agreement for allocation, Allocation to undeserving persons who speculate rather than the actual development, Allocations made without complying with the approved land use plans of the districts, Failure of the authorites to provide the primary infrastructure, Failure of the mass housing providers to provide the secondary infrastructure.
Problems with Land Swap
The model is a misnomer of Financing Urban Infrastructure with Land Value, Never feasible for affordable housing, Distortion of the sharing formula, Not only providing the infrastructure but also saddling the responsibility of resettlement on the developer.

This is lecture delivered by Tpl. Shuaibu on the occasion of NITP Abuja Chapter Monthly Meeting Lecture Series on the 29th April 2015 at the Bawa Bwari House Wuse Abuja.