Acquiring Land in Yobe

Acquiring land in Yobe

The Land Use Act of 1978 is the key piece of legislation relating to land access in Yobe State and Nigeria. Under the Act, State Governors grant statutory rights of occupancy and determine lease conditions on both urban and non-urban land, with lease periods of up to 99 years for residential plots and 40 years for industrial plots. All lands in Yobe State are administered by the Bureau of Land and Survey, which has the responsibility of advising the Governor on the management of land in the State.

Nigeria has no restrictions on property ownership by non-residents. For non-residents, the key prerequisite for accessing land is the local incorporation of entities registered outside of Nigeria. Property of any kind in Nigeria can be purchased through a broker or real estate agent. In both cases, the transaction must be submitted to the State Governor for approval of the final Certificate of Occupancy or Title to the land. The Certificate of Occupancy in Yobe is issued by the Yobe Geographic Information Service (BOGIS).

PROCEDURE STEPS IN ACQUIRING LAND TITLE IN BENUE STATE:

Acquiring Land in Yobe State is very simple and takes little or no time to complete the application process. The process of acquiring land title in Yobe State has been simplified in order to make the process seamless, and the following steps have been put in place for the case of those applying for plots of land:

Step 1

Obtain the correct application form at the BOGIS customer care unit (CCU) along Numan/Biu Road, PMB 1081 Damaturu, Yobe state, or download the application form at www.bogis.Yobestate.gov.ng. Fill out the form completely and bring all the relevant original documents along. Make copies for safekeeping.

Step 2

Submit the completed application form(s) and relevant valid documents (International Passport, National ID, Driver’s License, Voter Registration Card, and Tax ID to BOGIS (CCU). Application processing fee (s) are:

i. Agricultural – N2,000

ii. Residential – N5,000

iii. Commercial/Institution – N10,000

iv. Industrial – N25,000

Payments are to be made by POS at BOGIS (CCU), by transfer, or by direct deposit into BOGIS Zenith Bank Account 1017010815, ( in this case, submit bank teller or receipt).

Step 3

Applicant (s) will receive an acknowledgment message containing a list of all the documents submitted indicating that his/her application has been received in accordance with section 17(5) of the Yobe State Land Use Regulation at: https://bogis.Yobestate.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Yobe-State-Land-Use-Regulations-2022.pdf

Step 4

The Applicant (s) may appoint a representative who will have the authority to submit, collect documents, and receive or make calls to BOGIS (CCU). The appointment must be indicated in the application form. An authorization letter may also be accepted. The applicant must submit the Representative ID. (accepted IDs include, International Passport; National ID Card; Drivers Licence; Voter Registration Card; Tax Identification Card).

Step 5

The application will go through several processes including vetting of all information and documents, verification of the plot of land, billing, and any approval that may be required. The applicant or representative will be notified of all application processes or issue that requires further information, or documentation.

Step 6

Successful Applicants who receive approval or an offer letter will be notified and reminded to agree to the terms and conditions of the approval or offer within 30 days before their application can proceed, including settling any outstanding bills and providing BOGIS (CCU) with evidence of payment.

Step 7

Once the C of O or registration document is ready for collection (usually within 30 working days of receipt of the signed Acceptance Letter), the applicant or their appointed representative is notified through the BOGIS (CCU) via SMS, phone call, and email to collect their certificate from BOGIS.

Once the Applicant collects the C of 0 which is their land title, the process ends there, except that the title holders are required by law to be paying Ground Rent yearly. It is to be noted that Persons under the age of 21 years are not legally entitled to land allocation or assignment.