From Paper To Digital: Inside Buni’s Land Administration Revolution In Yobe

For decades, land administration in many parts of Nigeria revolved around stacks of paper files, cumbersome procedures and prolonged delays in processing land documents. For landowners, developers and investors, accessing records or securing statutory land documents often meant navigating a slow manual system that left room for inefficiency, uncertainty and avoidable bureaucracy.

Yobe State was no different. As the state witnessed rapid urban growth, expanding housing projects and increasing demand for land for residential, commercial and public purposes, the limitations of the manual system became even more pronounced, making reform not just desirable but necessary.

Recognising that effective land administration is the bedrock of orderly development, Governor Mai Mala Buni took a decisive step by establishing the Yobe State Geographic Information System (YOGIS).

The agency was designed to serve as the state’s digital gateway to land administration, bringing together technology, planning and institutional reforms to simplify land management while supporting economic growth.

The establishment of YOGIS reflected a broader governance philosophy that development goes beyond constructing roads, schools and hospitals, but also requires strong institutions capable of providing efficient public services, protecting public records and creating an enabling environment for investment.

From the outset, the agency was entrusted with modernising land administration through digital innovation, improved surveying, accurate mapping and transparent record management.

Under the leadership of its Director-General, Dr. Abdullahi Hassan Gana, and his management team, YOGIS has steadily evolved into one of the most impactful institutions created by the Buni administration.

The first challenge confronting the agency was obvious. Thousands of land records existed only in paper form, occupying office shelves and filing cabinets, while retrieving a single file often required lengthy manual searches that delayed service delivery.

Rather than improving the old system, YOGIS set out to replace it.

Today, more than 80,000 land files have been scanned and digitised, creating a secure electronic database that has fundamentally transformed the management of land records across the state. The reform has not only improved the speed of document retrieval but has also reduced the risks associated with misplaced, damaged or duplicated files.

The digitisation exercise has equally strengthened transparency in land administration, with records now electronically managed, making land transactions faster, more reliable and less susceptible to the bottlenecks that characterised the manual system.

Technology, however, is only as effective as the people operating it.

To sustain the reforms, YOGIS invested significantly in human capital development, with more than 100 members of staff trained in digitisation, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Land Information Systems (LIS) and other modern land administration processes.

The investment has equipped the agency with the technical expertise required to manage an increasingly sophisticated digital land administration system.

While digitising existing records remained a priority, the government also recognised the need to generate credible data for future planning.

That informed the enumeration of approximately 147,000 houses across Damaturu, Bade, Nguru, Potiskum and Geidam Local Government Areas, creating one of the most comprehensive property databases in the state’s history.

The exercise has strengthened planning, property identification and land administration while providing the government with reliable data for future development initiatives.

As the reforms gathered momentum, they also attracted international recognition.

Through the successful implementation of the Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 11.3, Yobe State secured a $2.5 million World Bank grant, validating the progress made in strengthening institutional capacity and modernising land administration.

The achievement demonstrated that investments in governance reforms can attract the confidence of development partners while strengthening institutional capacity.

To improve surveying and land registration, YOGIS established a dedicated Cadastral Department, providing a more organised framework for parcel identification, mapping and land documentation.

Professional consultants were equally engaged to support the digitisation process and ensure that the agency’s operations align with internationally accepted GIS standards.

The physical transformation of the agency mirrored the institutional changes taking place within it.

The YOGIS headquarters was renovated and remodelled into a modern office environment capable of supporting digital operations and delivering more efficient services to members of the public.

The improved facility reflects the agency’s transition from a conventional land registry into a technology-driven institution.

Urban planning has also become one of the defining outcomes of the reforms. With the approval of the 25-Year Damaturu Master Plan, Yobe now has a comprehensive blueprint designed to guide the orderly expansion of the state capital.

The master plan provides a framework for residential, commercial and industrial development while ensuring that future growth is supported by proper infrastructure and coordinated land use planning.

Housing development has equally benefited from the agency’s interventions, as YOGIS successfully carried out the resettlement of plots required for the Family Homes Project, facilitating the construction of 2,350 housing units across the state.

By resolving land-related issues ahead of implementation, the agency helped eliminate delays that could have slowed one of the government’s major housing programmes.

The acquisition of state-of-the-art survey equipment has improved the accuracy of geospatial information while enhancing the quality of mapping and survey operations across the state.

Accurate land data has become increasingly important in planning roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other public infrastructure.

Recognising that digital records require uninterrupted power, the Buni administration also provided solar power systems to support twenty-four-hour electronic records management.

The investment ensures that digital services remain operational while protecting valuable electronic records from disruptions caused by unreliable electricity supply.

Improving the experience of citizens interacting with the government has remained another important priority.

To achieve this, YOGIS established a dedicated Customer Care Unit that provides timely responses to enquiries, complaints and requests, making land administration more accessible, transparent and responsive to public needs.

The reforms have also strengthened internally generated revenue, as improved documentation, enhanced transparency and more efficient land administration now generate millions of naira monthly for the state, demonstrating that institutional reforms can improve governance while contributing to economic sustainability.

Rather than slowing the pace of reforms, the agency has already commenced the second phase of its digital transformation.

The ongoing programme includes the establishment of a secure Digital Archive and Electronic File Management System, digital mapping of existing layouts to accelerate the processing of Certificates of Occupancy, comprehensive upgrades of the GIS and Land Information System platforms, continuous staff training, improvements to customer service delivery, and the deployment of advanced technology for more transparent and efficient customer billing.

Taken together, these reforms represent far more than the modernisation of a government office. They illustrate how deliberate investments in technology, institutional capacity and public sector innovation can transform an essential aspect of governance that often receives little public attention despite its importance to development.

Today, the story of land administration in Yobe is no longer one of dusty files, crowded shelves and endless paperwork.

It is increasingly the story of an institution established to meet the demands of a modern state, where technology is replacing bureaucracy, digital records are improving public confidence, and land administration is becoming a catalyst for urban planning, investment and economic growth.

As YOGIS continues to implement the second phase of its reforms, the agency is steadily reinforcing Governor Mai Mala Buni’s vision of building institutions that will outlive projects and administrations.

From digitising more than 80,000 land records and enumerating 147,000 properties to securing international recognition through a $2.5 million World Bank grant, YOGIS has become a symbol of how institutional reforms can quietly redefine governance, laying a stronger foundation for Yobe’s future than stacks of paper files ever could.

– Yawale, is the Director Information Services, Yobe State Ministry of Information