Everyone deserves a good home, and aspires to get one. In the world today, real estate is becoming lucrative for individuals, firms, and government at large. Everyone aspires to possess a piece of real estate that will increase in value quickly and generate income. During pre-colonial times, ancient societies possessed and distributed land using different processes across various geographic regions. This is where real estate originates. After Nigeria gained her independence in 1960, there was an increasing demand for accommodation and infrastructure in urban areas. Developers’ bid to offer solutions to these demands led to the emergence of the real estate sector in Nigeria. And in 1980, the real estate housing sector witnessed a substantial change due to the introduction of structural adjustment strategies by the Nigerian government which led to economic liberalization and privatization. These changes prompted the private sectors such as Next Gear Homes to participate in real estate development. Subsequently, developers from the private sector began supplying Nigerians with housing, especially in urban areas. A quick glance at how the city of Abuja became a major state where real estate thrives. Initially, Abuja was an underdeveloped state that had lots of vacant lands, until the capital city of Nigeria which was formerly Lagos moved to Abuja. This became a turning point for Abuja, as it began to gain relevance being the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.

1. ADMINISTRATION
FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
REAL
ESTATE
IN THE
Dr. (Amb.) OlusolaIlesanmiOwomoyela, the
Group Managing Director (GMD) of Next
Gear Group (https://nextgearng.com/), is a
highly accomplished individual with a
diverse range of expertise in law, real estate
development, and humanitarian work. Born
and raised in Nigeria, he has made signicant
contributions to various elds throughout
hiscareer.
Dr. (Amb.) Olusola Ilesanmi Owomoleya
General Managing Director (GMD) of
Next Gear Group, Abuja, Nigeria.
Everyone deserves a
g o o d h o m e , a n d
aspires to get one. In the
world today, real estate is
becoming lucrative for
i n d i v i d u a l s ,  r m s , a n d
government at large. Everyone
aspires to possess a piece of real
estate that will increase in value
quickly and generate income. During
pre-colonial times, ancient societies
possessed and distributed land using
different processes across various geographic
regions.Thisiswhererealestateoriginates.
OF NIGERIA

2. Abuja faces challenges in implementing effective land management systems, including proper
documentation and maintenance of land records. This has led to issues of overlapping claims, disputes,
and fraudulent transactions. The absence of a reliable and transparent land registry system hampers
effectivelandadministrationandexacerbatestheproblemoflanddisputesinthecity.Thisisinevitablein
an organization without spelt out plans on land allocations, but not in an organization like Next Gear
HomesLimitedwheresomuchattentionispaidtodetails.
Being one of the rst purpose-built cities, every inuential person and investor wants to own a property
in the mega state, that's Abuja; 1476sqkm with a population of 3,840,000 million people. That's a whole
lot.However,inrecenttimes,therealestateindustryinAbuja,Nigeriahasceasedtobeasmoothrideasit
isfacedwithnumerouschallengesdespiteitsgrowth.Thesechallengesinclude;
The process of land allocation in Abuja is often marred by corruption and favoritism. The Land Use and
Allocation Commitee(LUAC), responsible for recommending land allocations, is susceptible to political
interference and manipulation. This leads to the allocation of land to individuals based on personal
connections and inuence rather than merit or need. As a result, many deserving individuals and
organizations are denied access to land, further exacerbating the problem of land administration in the
city. Private sectors like the NEXT GEAR HOMES LIMITED did emerge to change this status quo and
makeFCThospitableforeveryonewhointendstoownaland.
3. LackofEffectiveLandManagementSystems.
2.LimitedAccesstoAffordableHousing.
1. LackofTransparencyandAccountabilityinLandAllocation.
AquickglanceathowthecityofAbujabecameamajorstatewhererealestatethrives.Initially,Abujawas
anunderdeveloped statethathadlotsofvacantlands,untilthecapitalcityofNigeriawhichwasformerly
Lagos moved to Abuja. This became a turning point for Abuja, as it began to gain relevance being the
FederalCapitalTerritoryofNigeria.
Due to the skewed allocation of land in Abuja, there is a shortage of affordable housing for the lower and
middle-income residents. The high cost of real estate has made it difcult for these individuals to afford
decenthousingoptions.Thishasledtothegrowthofinformalsettlementsandslums,aspeopleareforced
to live in substandard conditions due to the lack of affordable housing options. Every human deserves a
goodhomeandshouldpossessone,irrespectiveoftheirstatus,andinNextGearHomesLimited,wehave
takenthisburdenonourshoulderstoensureitislightened.
4 LimitedParticipationofStakeholdersinDecision-MakingProcesses.
The process of land administration in Abuja lacks the active involvement of stakeholders, including
After Nigeria gained her independence in 1960, there was an increasing demand for accommodation and
infrastructure in urban areas. Developers' bid to offer solutions to these demands led to the emergence of
the real estate sector in Nigeria. And in 1980, the real estate housing sector witnessed a substantial
changeduetotheintroductionofstructuraladjustmentstrategiesbytheNigeriangovernmentwhichled
to economic liberalization and privatization. These changes prompted the private sectors such as Next
Gear Homes to participate in real estate development. Subsequently, developers from the private sector
begansupplyingNigerianswithhousing,especiallyinurbanareas.
veryone deserves a good home, and aspires to get one. In the world today, real estate is becoming
Elucrative for individuals, rms, and government at large. Everyone aspires to possess a piece of real
estate that will increase in value quickly and generate income. During pre-colonial times, ancient
societiespossessedanddistributedlandusingdifferentprocessesacrossvariousgeographicregions.This
iswhererealestateoriginates.

3. Effec ve collabora on between the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Area Councils
can lead to more equitable land distribu on. Empowering the Area Councils to allocate lands to different
classes of ci zens, similar to the village system in the United Kingdom, can help address the challenges of
landscarcityandpreventillegaldevelopment.
7. Decentraliza ontoDecongesttheCityCenter:
To prevent Abuja from becoming overly congested like Lagos, there should be a strategic reloca on of
6. Collabora onwithAreaCouncils:
To cater for diverse family living requirements, city planners should consider different densi es. High-
densityareascanfeatureskyscrapers,medium-densitycanaccommodatemul -storybuildings,andlow-
density areas can consist of bungalow-style housing. The challenges associated with abolishing
bungalowsinAbujaneedstobeaddressedtoensureabalancedhousinglandscape.
5. EnhancingInterdepartmentalCohesion:
To streamlinethe urban planning process,thereshould be improved cohesion betweenvarious organs of
the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), including the Development Control and Abuja
Geographic Informa on Systems (AGIS). Simplifying the approval process for developmental projects by
ensuring smoother communica on and coordina on between departments will facilitate efficient
projectexecu on.
Collabora on between the government and experienced real estate developers is crucial. Partnering
with developers with a track record of successful projects can enhance the quality and efficiencyof urban
development ini a ves. These partnerships can foster ongoing job opportuni es and mi gate the
influenceoflandgrabbers.
4. AddressingDensityConcerns:
REMEDY TO ISSUES AFFECTING LAND ADMINISTRATION IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
1. InclusionofProfessionalDevelopersinCityPlanning:
Professional developers possess valuable insights and exper se in the real estate sector. By including
them in commi ees responsible for city design, such as the Land Use and Alloca on Commi ee (LUAC),
thegovernmentcanbenefitfromtheiradviceonthespecificneedsofthepopula onandensurethatreal
estate requirements are effec vely addressed. Members of these commi ees can be drawn from
reputableorganiza onsliketheRealEstateDevelopersAssocia onofNigeria(REDAN).
2. TimelyLandAlloca on:
residents, community organizations, and non-governmental organizations. This results in decisions being
made without considering the needs and concerns of the larger population. The lack of inclusive decision-
making processes contributes to the dissatisfaction and resentment among residents regarding land
administration policies in Abuja. Shelter is a basic need for humanity and should not be sidelined to a
particular group of individuals, calling all shots for everyone. Stakeholders should be allowed
participationinissues of policyformationsanddecisionmaking.
3. PartnershipwithrecognizedRealEstateDevelopers:
Efficient and mely land alloca on is essen al for economic growth, crime reduc on, and job crea on.
The government should priori ze the expedited alloca on of lands to facilitate real estate development.
Delays in alloca ons can result in the occupa on of lands by land grabbers illegally, hindering the
availabilityofapartmentsandcrea ngfurtherchallengesforprospec veresidents.

4. The government should priori ze the development of affordable housing projects and incen ves
developers to focus on providing housing for the lower-income residents. This can be achieved through
the provision of subsidies, tax incen ves, and streamlined approval processes for affordable housing
projectsandalsopartnershipwithRealEstateDevelopersAssocia onofNigeria(REDAN)
The government should invest in digital land registry systems that accurately document land ownership
and transac ons. This will help prevent fraud, disputes, and overlapping claims. It will also make it
possible for those in diaspora to do land business online such as search, payment of bills and genera on
ofRemita.
There should be clear guidelines and criteria for land alloca on that priori ze the needs of the lower and
middle-income residents. The alloca on process should be free from corrup on and favori sm, and
decisionsshouldbebasedonmeritandtheoverallbenefittothecommunity.
ministries and government agencies to other Area Councils such as Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Bwari. This
decentraliza onwilldistributeeconomicac vi esandcreateopportuni esfordevelopmentbeyondthe
citycenter.
8. ImplementaFairandTransparentLandAlloca onSystem:
9. IncreaseAffordableHousingOp ons:
10. ImproveLandManagementSystems:
In conclusion, the future of Real Estate in Abuja shows great promise, which will only be a ainable when
the right steps are taken, and only the inclusion of reliable private sectors such as NEXT GEAR HOMES
LIMITED would make this possible, as some of the government agencies have proven reluctant
overtheyears.
The NEXT GEAR HOMES LIMITED is a Nigerian Real Estate Company with her headquarters in Abuja,
Nigeria, a subsidiary of Next Gear Group. Other subsidiaries of Next Gear Group are: Next Gear
Resources, Next Gear Facility Managers, Next Gear Project Support and Watch My Property Concepts.
These subsidiaries all work together to give you nothing but the best as long as shelter alloca ons and
developmentisconcerned.Layyourconcernsonourtables,we'vegotyoucovered.

5. AUTHOR’S
PROFILE
Dr. (Amb.) OlusolaIlesanmiOwomoyela, the Group Managing Director
(GMD) of Next Gear Group (https://nextgearng.com/), is a highly
accomplished individual with a diverse range of expertise in law, real estate
development,andhumanitarianwork.BornandraisedinNigeria,hehasmade
signicantcontributionstovariouseldsthroughouthiscareer.
Dr. (Amb.) OlusolaOwomoyela completed his undergraduate studies at
Obafemi Awolowo University in 2006, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws
(LL.B.) degree. Following his passion for law, he became a member of the
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2007, showcasing his commitment to the
legalprofession.
Dr. (Amb.) Olusola Ilesanmi Owomoleya