Kwara State officially turned the page on manual land processing on Monday as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq unveiled an automation system designed to drastically cut down processing time. The new system will allow applicants to get titles for their land, including the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), within two weeks to 30 working days provided all necessary conditions have been met.

The Governor made the announcement in Ilorin at the launch of the Kwara State Geographic Land Information Service (KW-GIS) based digital land information system.

"Today marks another bold step in our commitment to innovation, transparency, and efficiency in public service delivery," the Governor said.

He noted that for decades, land administration in many states, including Kwara, had been plagued by "manual records, inefficiencies, and delays" that discouraged investors, slowed down property transactions, and created room for abuse.

"Our administration made a decision to change that narrative. The KW-GIS Digital Land Information System represented a complete transformation in how land records are managed in Kwara State. It provides a modern, automated, transparent platform that ensures every parcel of land in the state is digitally captured, documented, and easily retrievable," Governor AbdulRazaq explained.

He said the new system eliminates duplication and loss of land records, shortens processing time for C of O and other land documents, enhances revenue generation, and promotes investor confidence by ensuring the certainty and security of land ownership.

He called the launch a milestone in the state's ease of doing business reforms, urging all stakeholders to embrace the new system.

The event was attended by top government officials at all levels, lawmakers, traditional rulers, captains of industry, trade unionists and market leaders, among others.

Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Kwara State Ease of Doing Business Council (EODBC), Dr Hauwa Nuru, said the initiative positions the state as a national leader in several World Bank supported programmes, including NG-CARES, SABER, and the HOPE Program (HOPE EDU, HOPE PHC, and HOPE GOV).

"This outstanding progress is a testament to Your Excellency's unwavering commitment to institutional reforms, accountability, and sustainable development," she said.

Dr Nuru commended members of the Council for their dedication, and the KW-GIS team and consultant and technical partners for working tirelessly to bring the vision to life.

Executive Chairman, State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), Mrs Folashade Omoniyi, said the new system "bridges longstanding gaps in land administration, documentation, and record accuracy by leveraging modern technology to establish a transparent and efficient land management system".

She said the integration of KW-IRS online payment platform with KW-GIS system further complements the digital advancement.

"Investors, titleholders, and the general public can now register land, process CofO, obtain building approvals, and make all related payments online, seamlessly and transparently reducing bureaucracy and strengthening public trust," she said.

"In tandem with this progress, the State Government has reviewed and harmonized existing laws governing land administration to align with modern standards. These reforms guarantee clarity, fairness, and efficiency in property rights, title documentation, and investment transactions."

Executive Secretary, KW-GIS, Alhaji Sulyman Abdulkareem, said the launch of the digital platform is a milestone in the history of land administration.

Speaking on the Kwara Smart City project, Abdulkareem promised to digitize the land and ensure that all necessary documents are archived for future generations, saying this will guide against encroachment.

He also commended AbdulRazaq for approving the release of N560 million as compensation for parts of the land acquired for the Smart City project.

Project Consultant, Dr Paul Adepelumi, said with digitalization of KW-GIS the administration has set a new national standard, explaining that the digital platform will ease online application for land, make the processing of C of O faster and more efficient, and remove all forms of bottleneck in land administration.

"KWGIS is not just a platform but a revolution. It takes us from files to digital records, from delay to speed, and from opacity to transparency," he said.

Project Manager for the digital initiative, Engr Ali Muhammad Kalot, said the digital geographic land information service has some features and advantages, including digital parcel mapping and querying, land records integration, generation of revenue, as well as user access and security control, among others.

He said over 200 staff of KW-GIS have been trained and equipped to handle all processes.

"We have scanned more than 1000 layouts. We have also digitized all the plots in our KW-GIS platform, numbering about 20,000 plots. And this is a key achievement of our project," he said.