Preamble:
Prior to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration in November 2016, the issue of land grabbing, hooliganism and land racketeering was the order of the day in Edo State as far as land acquisition and allocation system in the State was concerned, with all the attendant security challenges.
To cure the malaise and forestall the attendant security implications, Governor Obaseki at the inception of his administration rolled out series of land reforms.
As a sharp departure from the practice by most states of the Federation with large expanse of Lands yet relied heavily on crude oil and Federal Allocation to drive their economy, Edo State Government, under Governor Obaseki deliberately set out to fully explore the gains of her expanse of land.
This the Governor did by reversing the ugly trend of land grabbing, hooliganism and land racketeering largely perpetrated by Community Development Associations (CDAs).
The Governor achieved this feat, when in synergy with the relevant stakeholders, including the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, and the Edo State House of Assembly, outlawed the CDAs across the State and banned their activities under whatever guise. (The Private Property Protection Law 2017; Amended 2021 was enacted).
Within the context of his Make Edo Great Again (MEGA) agenda, anchored on six thematic pillars of Institutional reform; Economic Revolution; Infrastructure Development; Environmental Sustainability; Social Welfare Enhancement, and Culture & Tourism, Governor Obaseki put in place a new Security Architecture which helped to rekindle the confidence of Real Estate Developers in the State.
Establishment of EdoGIS:
With the establishment and innovations by the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) and the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), Governor Obaseki has largely improved the ease of doing business culture in Edo State.
The establishment of EDOGIS has ushered in great and novel technological innovations and reforms into the process of land acquisition and allocation in the State.
Today, these technological innovations in land administration have greatly helped to create, promote, and deepen the conducive business environment where investors can now carry on their businesses without any fears over return on investment, thanks to the transparency and ease in titling land in the State.
Till date, the establishment of EDOGIS in August 2017 has contributed immensely to why Edo State has become a preferred destination for investors.
One among the numerous sectors that have leveraged on the business-friendly atmosphere is the real estate business which has undoubtedly increased significantly in the State.
Recently, Edo State was rated very high as one of the safest States in the Country to do business in view of the impact of the land reforms of Governor Obaseki driven by EDOGIS and the State’s huge investment in its security system.
This is squarely in tandem with the State Government’s vision to make Edo State the best State to live and prosper in Nigeria by the year 2050.
With the continued and sustained investment drives by Governor Obaseki in infrastructural renewal and land reforms, with particular interest in the use of technology to drive land acquisition and allocation which is why EDOGIS was set up, it goes without saying that Governor Obaseki has revolutionized the Built industry through his bold reforms in Land administration.
The ongoing boom in the real estate sector; the relative calm in place of the hitherto vexatious communal unrest and the pervasive ambience of prosperity and technological advancement in the governance structure all bear eloquent testimony to the bold reforms of Governor Obaseki towards really Making Edo Great Again.
