NEWS
Abia State Records Surge in Certificates of Occupancy Issuance as 2026 Figures Outpace Previous Years
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | March 8, 2026
The Abia State Government has recorded a significant rise in the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) in the first two months of 2026, reflecting growing public confidence in the land administration system and improvements in the ease of doing business within the state.
According to data released by the Abia State Ministry of Lands, a total of 123 Certificates of Occupancy were signed within the week ending March 6, 2026, bringing the year-to-date total to 422 signed by Governor Alex Chioma Otti.
The figures show a notable increase when compared with the same period in 2025. At this time last year, only 241 Certificates of Occupancy had been signed. The current figure of 422 represents almost double the number recorded within the same timeframe in 2025.
A historical breakdown of Certificates of Occupancy issued between 2019 and 2023 further highlights the scale of the improvement under the present administration. During those years, the total number of C-of-O issued in an entire year was lower than the 422 already signed within the first two months of 2026.
Records from the Ministry indicate the following yearly totals:
2019 – 345
2020 – 213
2021 – 240
2022 – 298
2023 – 406
2024 – 1,275
2025 – 2,082
2026 (first two months) – 422
Officials say the steady growth reflects increased trust by residents and investors in the state’s land administration process, improved efficiency in processing land titles, and the broader reforms introduced by the state government.
The Ministry also noted that the surge in Certificates of Occupancy is expected to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) while strengthening investor confidence and property ownership documentation across Abia.
Authorities further disclosed that the state government is opening new residential layouts while also recovering and reorganising existing layouts, a move expected to significantly expand land accessibility and accelerate the issuance of more Certificates of Occupancy in the coming months.
With these developments, officials project that the number of C-of-O processed in 2026 could rise sharply, continuing the upward trend already recorded over the past two years.
The statistics were made available by the Abia State Ministry of Lands.