The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has announced that obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) in Abuja will now require a National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN).
Wike, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, explained that the new requirement is part of a broader effort to address discrepancies and cloning of C-of-Os.
He stated that both individuals and corporate bodies will be required to provide their respective identification numbers as part of the application process for a C-of-O.
“There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot of cloning of C-of-Os, so we have come up with an idea that every allottee who seeks and applies for a C-of-O must supply his NIN; this is one of the features we are going to put in the new C-of-O,” Wike said.
“If a corporate body doesn’t have an NIN and they have a property, they must put their BVN. So many persons have not registered, and this will make them go and re-register.”
For existing landowners with C-of-Os, Wike stated that they will be required to undergo a recertification process to incorporate the new NIN or BVN feature.
The minister noted that the recertification fee will be nominal, with individuals paying N50,000 and corporate bodies paying N100,000.
“For everyone who has a C-of-O, they will come for a recertification, so that we can incorporate the NIN or BVN,” he said.
“Those who had a C-of-O before don’t need to pay money again; the highest they can pay is N50,000, and corporate bodies will pay N100,000. It helps in terms of security; it also helps to improve our revenue generation.”
Wike also noted the benefits of this initiative in identifying property owners accurately for tax purposes, saying “There are people who own seven properties, so this will identify them so they can pay taxes.”
The minister also addressed the proposed N5 million fee for C-of-O from the annual ground rent, explaining that the fee is based on land ownership rather than the structure built on it.
“The task force proposed N5 million, and the stakeholders said let it be reduced. They asked, ‘If it’s going to be on properties four-bedroom or bed-bedroom?’, again, you have to understand that the C-of-O is not based on the building but the land. The only difference is the annual ground rent.
“The one with a two-bedroom property cannot pay the same as the person with a three-bedroom property,” he stated.
