General
Lagos Exempts Senior Citizens from Paying Land Use Charge
**Appeals for Cooperation as Implementation Begins
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Lagos State government has begun the distribution of the 2018 Land Use Charge demand notices for properties across the state.
The distribution, which commenced last week, ought to have been carried out much earlier in the year, but was delayed by a review of the Land Use Charge Act by the State House of Assembly.
The review process entailed a repeal of the old law, public hearings and enactment of a replacement by the House of Assembly on January 28, before it was signed into law on February 8.
According to Mr Akinyemi Ashade, the state’s Commissioner for Finance, the State House of Assembly decided to review the law in the light of some of the inefficiencies that had become associated with the old Land Use Charge act.
“As noted by Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, only a small fraction of taxable properties were actually remitting Land Use Charge to the government,” said Mr Ashade. “To make matters worse, the land use charge rates had over time gradually become rather obsolete.”
In addition, he said, determination of the rates payable by property owners was often questionable because the formula could be applied in a subjective manner.
The new Land Use Charge regime, said Mr Ashade, sets out to correct the shortcomings in the previous regime.
For instance, the new regime allows for property owners to calculate by themselves the rates payable by them, once they have determined the market value of their properties. “This way, rates payable are transparent and standardized such that property owners are charged identical rates for properties of identical dimensions being used for identical purposes in the same locality.”
Mr Ashade added that the state government is very mindful of the impact of the current economic situation in the country on residents of the state, pointing out that the new Land Use Charge regime has several inbuilt reliefs for Lagosians.
For instance, senior citizens (citizens aged 70 years and above) who live in their own houses, are exempted from paying Land Use Charge. The same applies to properties owned by religious and not-for-profit organizations where such properties are not profit-yielding.
Physically challenged citizens also enjoy considerable discounts on their computed charges.
In the same light, every Land Use Charge bill benefits from a discount of 40 percent and an additional 15 percent discount if the bill is paid promptly.
“The new Land Use Act as recently passed by the House of Assembly is designed to enhance the overall efficiency of the Land Use Charge regime to enable government become even better equipped to continue the infrastructure regeneration that is currently being aggressively implemented across Lagos State,” he emphasized.
“We have been very encouraged by the responses we have received so far as a good number of Lagosians have since gone ahead to make payment. This is very commendable and we extend our thanks and appreciation to them for discharging their civic responsibilities promptly,” the Commissioner enthused.
Mr Ashade acknowledged that some others have raised questions about their bills. “We are also engaging a handful of Lagosians who have raised legitimate concerns about their bills. We have a full-fledged Help Desk manned solely dedicated to managing and resolving such complaints,” he said.
He advised Lagosians seeking more clarity about their bills to contact the Lagos Land Use charge Help Desk adding that the Help Desk contact details including email and telephone numbers are clearly stated on the demand notices.
Property enumerators, Mr Ashade added, are also being deployed across the state to verify not only the dimensions and reasonable market value of properties but also the use to which these properties are deployed.
The essence, he explained, is to enhance the accuracy of Land Use Charge determination. “I want to appeal to my dear fellow Lagosians to kindly avail these enumerators of as much cooperation as possible to ensure accurate determination of Land Use Charge for all.”
While again acknowledging that the times are difficult, Mr Ashade sought the understanding and cooperation of Lagosians, adding that the state’s consistently peerless performance not only in the area of providing infrastructure but also prompt payment of workers’ salaries among others, is attributable to its formidable internally generated revenue model which is now being copied by all. “We crave your support and understanding as we jointly strive to continue to build a mega city of the future for which our children shall be proud.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, from office.
The Senate Committee on Finance, while passing a resolution in Abuja on Thursday, accused Mr Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of failing to honour the Senate’s invitations to account for the finances of his agency.
“He refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee.
“We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“Each time we invite him, he gives us excuses,” the Chairman of the committee, Mr Sani Musa, said as the committee passed the resolution.
CAC was part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held two weeks ago, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The PAC chairman, Mr Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly should not continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms, saying this will create fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency across federal institutions and conform with extant financial regulations and the oversight powers of the parliament.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” he said.
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