El-Rufai inaugurates committee, warns against meddling in land allocation

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has inaugurated the Kaduna State Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC), urging the members to use their insights to support the citizens’ land needs.

The governor told the committee, which is chaired by Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the Deputy Governor, that “the needs of our people for homes, farmlands, commercial and other premises will continue to grow”.

El Rufai who inaugurated the committee on Monday, noted that Kaduna is one of the largest states in terms of landmass and population.

According to him, this makes it critical to ensure “that land is administered and managed in a coherent manner that attends to the human needs of today and promotes the future prospects of the state and its residents”.

El-Rufai also pointed out that the LUAC is a statutory body which is mandated by the Land Use Act but with a solely advisory function.

The governor argued that this means that the Kaduna State Land Use and Allocation Committee has no power to allocate land.

He advised members of the public not inundate LUAC members with demands for land.

‘’Nobody should approach or pressure them for land allocation because that will amount to urging them to exceed their mandate and thereby break the law,’’ he added.

El Rufai further explained that the government has always prioritised effective and modern land management.

‘’That is why one of our first steps in office in 2015 was the establishment of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) to manage land administration in the state and digitise the land registry.

‘’KADGIS, which replaced the old Ministry of Land Survey and Country Planning, is helping residents and investors to secure authentic land titles,’’ he added.