Ebonyi State government has disclosed that it will digitalise the land management system in the state to address challenges in the sector, ensure transparency, and boost economic development and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.

Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the state, Dr Mathew Nwobashi, disclosed this in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Thursday during the unveiling of Qabar, an informative digital real estate platform in the state.

He said the digitalisation of the land management system has been captured in this year’s budget and that the process was ongoing.

He described land verification as a complex issue in land administration, saying that the government will partner with the Qabar real estate platform to tackle the problem.

"Land verification has been a complex issue throughout Nigeria, not only in Ebonyi.

“I want to inform us that Ebonyi State government is already in the process of digitalisation of land administration in the state and, when this is done, it will solve most of the challenges in the sector because the type of land management system that we are going to put in place is such that that property you are going to buy that has anything to do with land, you can stay in the comfort of your home and do the search,” he said.

He said one of the problems in the land sector is double selling, where more than one person carries double Certificates of Occupancy, which the digitalisation will end.

He assured that the government will partner with Qabar to sanitise the system.

“Qabar is a platform where everybody will be fully informed, whether you are going to buy land, whether you are going to buy a property or whatever you want to do in the real estate business. It is a very informative platform.

“Government will do everything humanly possible to support Qabar as a digital platform that is out to address challenges in the sector,” the Commissioner said.

Director of Operations of the real estate platform, Obinna Udenwe, said Qabar is a digital real estate platform where landlords, agents, property managers and tenants meet.

“It is a digital space where an agent or property manager uploads photos and videos of property that are up for rent or for purchase, and the tenant or the client who is interested in renting the building or buying the property goes there, sees the property or contacts the landlord or the property manager that has uploaded,” Udenwe said

He identified the lack of a centralised or reliable platform for real estate investment as the current challenge facing the sector. (The Sun)