Anambra State has given landowners until December 31, 2026, to recertify their old Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) or risk losing access to key land transactions.
The Anambra State Ministry of Lands disclosed this in a public notice dated September 1, 2026, signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nkeiru Mokwe.
The ministry said the old land administration system will be shut down indefinitely after the deadline, meaning holders of unrecertified C of Os will no longer be able to process certain transactions through the Ministry of Lands.
The Ministry of Lands said the recertification exercise is ongoing and urged titleholders who have not started the process to submit their applications without delay.
It said holders of old C of Os must have their documents recertified and captured in the Anambra State Geographic Information System (ANAMGIS) database to continue accessing the affected services.
The ministry said the recertification exercise is intended to update existing land records and integrate them into the state’s current digital land administration system.
Landowners who hold old C of Os and have not commenced the recertification process are expected to submit their applications before the December 31 deadline. The ministry advised titleholders to complete the process ahead of the deadline to protect their property interests and avoid difficulties accessing land administration services.
The exercise is focused on recertifying existing C of Os and capturing the records in the ANAMGIS database.
Titleholders who do not complete the process will be unable to access the specified transactions through the Ministry of Lands after the old system is shut down.
The notice does not state that an old C of O automatically becomes invalid after December 31.
The restriction applies to transactions requiring processing through the Ministry of Lands under the old system.
Landowners therefore face a deadline for updating their records rather than an automatic cancellation of their existing C of Os.
The recertification exercise comes against the backdrop of broader efforts to formalise land ownership in Nigeria and unlock property that cannot easily participate in the formal economy because of inadequate documentation.
According to a PwC report, Nigeria has between $300 billion and $900 billion in “dead capital”, referring to property that people own and use but cannot readily borrow against or pledge as collateral because it lacks clear, registered title.
The Federal Government has been working to increase land formalisation nationwide as part of efforts to unlock the estimated $300 billion in dead capital.
Nairametrics reported in 2024 that the Federal Government partnered with the World Bank to increase land formalisation from less than 10% to 50% over 10 years through a National Land Documentation and Titling Programme.
The programme is expected to involve state governments in registering, documenting and titling land.
The Federal Government has said improved land documentation would help unlock the economic value of properties that cannot easily be used as collateral or participate fully in the formal economy.
The wider land formalisation effort places greater emphasis on accurate, registered and accessible property records.
Lagos State has also been working to bring undocumented land assets into the formal system, with the state targeting about N3 trillion in land assets through a statewide mapping, valuation and documentation exercise.
It involves mapping and valuing land parcels that have remained outside official records.
The Lagos State Government said proper documentation could support fair compensation, attract investment and strengthen land governance.
