Governor Peter Mbah, on Monday launched the Enugu State Geographic Information System, a digital platform aimed at modernizing land administration and management in the state.
This move is a significant step towards achieving the governor’s campaign promise to automate governance processes and grow the state’s economy to $30 billion, Governor Mbah said.
The ENGIS is designed to provide a transparent, efficient, and reliable system for land registration, title verification, and property searches. With this platform, applicants can initiate and complete land title applications online within 48 hours, eliminating the need for physical visits and reducing the risk of corruption.
Governor Mbah emphasised that the ENGIS marks the end of an era of land grabbing, unauthorized construction, double allocations, and revenue diversion.
He said, “We had during our campaign mentioned that we were going to invest hugely in the digital sector and that we were going to ensure that we make Enugu State the number one in terms of Ease of Doing Business.
“If you look at the major indicators of the Ease of Doing Business, you would notice that two items there: the ease of obtaining your title and ease of obtaining construction permit, are core indicators.
“So, what we are launching today would enable us to accomplish our economic growth target because with the ENGIS, you are able to start and complete your application for title within 48 hours. From the comfort of your home, you can apply for titles, conduct your searches, and you get the results almost immediately.
“It is also going to create transparency in our land management and administration. Thus, the era of opacity in our land transactions is also gone because you can now view everything,” he said.
“We believe that this is going to motivate the investors a lot and is going to bring us closer to our dream of growing this economy from $4.4bn to $30bn in four to eight years. We know that we can achieve that because the value of real estate in our state is rising. You can see people trooping in.
“So, with ENGIS we are ready for business and we are open for business because we are now able to treat the title applications expeditiously,” he stated.
He congratulated his team for working tirelessly to achieve this milestone, which is expected to boost the state’s revenue profile and create an advanced geospatial centre of excellence for land administration and data management.
The Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Mr Chimaobi Okorie, and the Coordinator of ENGIS, Dr. Cyril Ezeama, explained that the platform is projected to generate an estimated N300 billion annually for the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
They also noted that the ENGIS is the first of its kind in Nigeria, providing a seamless and convenient online experience for land applicants and stakeholders.
The launch of the ENGIS was attended by various stakeholders, including the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, and the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu.
The event was seen as a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to modernize its land administration and management systems.
