Anambra gives landowners December 31, 2026 deadline to recertify C of Os
By Aboki Forex —
Anambra State has ordered holders of old Certificates of Occupancy to recertify their documents by December 31, 2026, or lose access to key land transactions processed through the Ministry of Lands. The deadline was contained in a public notice dated September 1, 2026, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Anambra State Ministry of Lands, Mrs. Nkeiru Mokwe.
What the Ministry of Lands said
The ministry said the old land administration system will be shut down indefinitely after the deadline. Holders of unrecertified C of Os will no longer be able to process transactions such as Mortgages, Deed of Assignment, Certified True Copy (CTC), Registration of Power of Attorney and other dealings requiring the Ministry of Lands.
“Be advised that the old system will be shutdown indefinitely on the 31st day of December, 2026, after which the holders of the old Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) will no longer be able to carry out any transactions such as Mortgages, Deed of Assignment, Certified True Copy (CTC), Registration of Power of Attorney etc., unless their documents have been duly recertified and captured in the ANAMGIS database,” the notice read in part.
Only titleholders whose records have been updated and integrated into the Anambra State Geographic Information System (ANAMGIS) database will be allowed to carry out transactions under the new system. The ministry said the exercise is meant to update existing land records and move them onto the state’s digital land administration platform.
What landowners need to do
Landowners with old C of Os who have not started recertification must submit their applications before the December 31 deadline. The ministry advised titleholders to complete the process early to protect their property interests and avoid difficulty accessing land administration services.
The notice does not state that an old C of O automatically becomes invalid after the deadline. The restriction applies to transactions that require processing through the Ministry of Lands under the old system. Landowners are being asked to update their records, not to face automatic cancellation of existing C of Os.
Why this matters
The Anambra exercise aligns with broader efforts to formalise land ownership in Nigeria and unlock property that cannot easily participate in the formal economy because of poor documentation. A PwC report put Nigeria’s “dead capital” at between $300 billion and $900 billion, referring to property people own and use but cannot readily borrow against or pledge as collateral without clear, registered title.
The Federal Government has been pushing to raise land formalisation from less than 10% to 50% over 10 years through a National Land Documentation and Titling Programme, in partnership with the World Bank. The programme is expected to involve state governments in registering, documenting and titling land.
Lagos State has also moved to bring undocumented land into the formal system. The state is targeting about N3 trillion in land assets through a statewide mapping, valuation and documentation exercise that initially covered 2,000 hectares and has since expanded to 3,744 hectares across multiple locations. Lagos says proper documentation could curb land misuse, unlock dormant economic value, improve urban planning and boost internally generated revenue.
For Nigerian businesses and property owners, the Anambra deadline is a practical reminder that land records are being digitalised. Owners who complete recertification stand a better chance of using their property as collateral for credit, while those who delay may find themselves locked out of formal land transactions.