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To Accelerate CofO Process & Costs
There are eight important documents landowners in Oyo State must have in other to fast track the process of their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) acquisition. This was contained in a circular recently released by the government regarding its digitalized C of O process. The digital initiative, the government said, would only take 60 days for the processing and collection when it was launched.
According to government, the new system would not only make the process faster, it would also reduce cost and generate more revenue for the state.
The government now gives C of O for different categories of land use, including residential, commercial/industrial, and farmland properties at a greatly reduced price to the previous cost. The residential category now cost between 200,000 NGN – 500,000 NGN depending on the type of residential structure and land size.
The commercial category cost between 300,000 NGN – 650,000 NGN based on land size and business scale while the farmland category cost between 300,000 NGN – 850,000 NGN based on the farm size.
The government said its aim is to allow property owners regularize the legal status and documentation of their properties whilst providing enumeration data for proper planning, provision of roads, schools, hospitals and other essential services by the State Government. Under the scheme, owners of eligible properties without title or required approval in Oyo State will be given a window of opportunity to obtain Certificate of Occupancy or other title documents. All penalties and fines have been waived, documentation requirements relaxed and fees discounted to enable as many property owners as possible to benefit from the project. However, the process of obtaining the C of O involves specific application requirements.
Below are the eight key requirements:
(1) Application Fee: The applicant is required to pay a 10,000 NGN application fee for the Certificate of Occupancy.
(2) Passport Photograph: The applicant needs to provide a recent passport-sized photograph, usually used for identification purposes in the application process.
(3) Original Land Agreement: The original land agreement or evidence of ownership must be presented as part of the application. This document serves to verify the legal ownership of the property.
(4) Affidavit (Where necessary): In some cases, an affidavit might be required, especially when there are discrepancies or uncertainties in the ownership or previous transactions related to the property.
(5) CAC Registration Documents (for commercial titles): If the application is for a commercial property, the applicant must present relevant Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration documents to prove the legal existence and ownership of the business entity.
(6) Company Seal (for commercial titles): Along with the CAC documents, a company seal is required for commercial property applications to authenticate the documents.
(7) Photograph of the Property: The applicant must submit recent photographs of the property, which will help in verifying the property’s location and condition.
(8) Registered Survey Plan verified at Surveyor General’s Office: A critical requirement for the application is a registered record copy of the survey plan. This document shows the accurate measurements and boundaries of the property. Before submission of the application, the survey plan must be verified and stamped by the Surveyor General’s Office to ensure its authenticity.
-Dare Adeniran
08057639079
With additional information from government’s platform
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