UK Blockchain Research Team To Partner With LASG On Land Registration And Digitisation

Undoubtedly, the Lagos Land administration ecosystem is one of the most sophisticated in the country, with effective owner- protection right in the ownership, management, and development of land for residential and commercial use. Hence, the adoption of blockchain towards actualising the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the right to development of land for personal and communal economy cannot be over-emphasized.

In adopting blockchain for Lagos’s most significant economic contributor – the land economy, there must be something in it for everyone. If the Banana Island property owners are going to benefit from blockchain, then people in the fishing community of Makoko should also benefit. The value chain of the blockchain model in the land economy contributes towards and creates equality of economic protection for all participants in the land value chain, including the Government.

In light of this, the visiting research team from the University of Hertfordshire, ably supported by the erudite authority of land law in Nigeria, Prof. Imran Oluwole Smith paid an official visit to the Lagos State Attorney General (A.G) and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN on Friday 28^th of June 2024, to intimate him on the progress made by the team in Nigeria and to present its 61-page White paper on the Policy adoption of blockchain technology in Nigeria.

Receiving the Research team with members of his office alongside leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch (Messrs. Oluwaseyi Olawunmi and Issa Adedokun), a very elated AG informed the team of LASG’s willingness to collaborate with all developmental partners in driving value for land ownership and certainty of title in the state.

The AG also informed the team about the “Lis Pendens” Digital Registry of Lagos State, which is about to be implemented, and expressed readiness to work with the team in adopting the proposed Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) blockchain model in parts of Lagos where land titles still pose a lot of problems for innocent purchasers.

Earlier, the visiting blockchain team met with the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Abiodun Babatunde, and presented the proposed model to weekly meeting of e-GIS and Urban Development Committee.

The leader of the visiting team, Dr Chamu Kuppuswamy informed the committee meeting about the strides made towards the adoption of the Blockchain Policy White Paper draft by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Blockchain Steering Committee as a national policy, while the other members of the team, Dr Bukola Faturoti and Ademola Soile-Balogun discussed the key recommendations of the White Paper, including but not limited to the interoperability of blockchain between ministries, departments and agencies, the development of a central blockchain – Nigereum, creation of a digital embassy hosted by a third country and stratification of capacity building with focus on developing core developer skills.