The Enugu State Government has announced major reforms in land administration sector, including the immediate abolition of all forms of illegal levies and the streamlining of land-related charges.
Governor Mbah disclosed this during a stakeholders’ Townhall meeting on land sector development, which took place on Thursday, 12th February, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, ICC Enugu.
The governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia, explained that the development is part of the state government’s broader economic transformation agenda.
The state government also disclosed that ground rent, land use charge, and all property-related charges have now been unified and reduced by over 60 per cent, with property owners required to pay only a single Unified Land Use Charge annually through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), whether their properties are located within estates or not.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly land administration system anchored on legality, digitization, and accountability.
The governor however, described land as the legal foundation for housing, infrastructure, agriculture, commerce, and investment, adding that since inception, the state government under his watch has pursued deliberate reforms to modernise land governance, reduce uncertainty, curb abuse, and restore public confidence in the land tenure system.
“These reforms are anchored on transparency, predictability, digitization of records, and strict adherence to statutory processes for land allocation, registration, and development control,”
According to the governor, that effective land governance must be driven by continuous engagement with communities, professionals, investors, traditional institutions, and citizens.
A major highlight of the reforms is the immediate ban on the controversial Ogbonecheagu fees collected by some communities and local governments.Prof. Onyia declared that Governor Mbah has declared all such fees illegal and directed their outright abolition following widespread complaints by residents.
“A task force has been constituted to enforce compliance, while members of the public who are compelled to pay such illegal charges have been urged to submit evidence to Whistleblowing@enugustate.gov.ng for prompt intervention.
The SSG further revealed that the reforms were informed by the recommendations of a multi-stakeholder Committee on Land-Related Revenue and Administration constituted by the Governor to address complaints of multiple taxation and revenue abuse in the state.
In his submission, Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie, said Governor Mbah has introduced critical policy directions and legal instruments, including an executive order declaring nine of the state’s seventeen local government areas as urban areas to enable planning and structured infrastructural development.
He said that the Mbah-led administration enacted the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS) law to serve as a one-stop platform for land transactions and to drive the full digitization and digitalization of land processes and systems.
The Commissioner added that land records are now fully harmonised, eliminating cases of missing files, while every plot of land in the state can be digitally tracked.
According to him, applicants seeking Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) can now apply online or walk into designated government offices for seamless processing, noting that the Property Protection Law signed by Governor Mbah guarantees the security of legitimate property ownership and protects investors’ assets.
Also speaking, Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, announced that all buildings located in housing estates owned by the Ministry of Housing and the Housing Development Corporation must henceforth obtain building approval directly from the Ministry and the Corporation, irrespective of their locations.
He added that building approval for houses in non-government estates within the Enugu municipal area will now be processed exclusively by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) to eliminate jurisdictional overlaps and administrative delays.
Mr. Nwatu further announced that Certificates of Occupancy for all buildings in both private and government estates will now be processed directly for individual property owners, thereby strengthening security of titles and improving assets bankability.
In his remark, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ES-IRS), Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, said the newly signed Tax Law was designed to place a greater tax burden on the wealthy while protecting low-income earners.
The Chairman urged residents to obtain their Tax Identification Numbers free of charge and comply with tax filing requirements to enable the government generate accurate data for development planning.
Responding to questions raise by participants, the SSG disclosed the constitution of a committee chaired by the Managing Director of ENGIS, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, to address complaints related to layouts and recommend practical solutions within one week for government consideration.
The Town hall meeting was attended by stakeholders from various groups, as well as individual residents, including heads of government agencies, community landholders, estate developers, surveyors, town planners, property agents and legal practitioners .
Others were, traditional rulers, town unions presidents, business operators, religious organisations, financial institutions, civil society groups, development partners, amongst others.
