Officials of the Lagos State Lands Bureau and representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, have agreed to work together to enhance transparency, efficiency, and service delivery within the Bureau.

The meeting, which held at the Bureau’s headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, followed a protest letter from the NBA Ikeja Branch over what it described as delays, corruption, and bureaucratic bottlenecks affecting land documentation and registration in the state.

Leading the delegation, the Chairman of the NBA Ikeja Access to Justice Committee, Mr. Olumide Oniyire, SAN, highlighted the challenges faced by lawyers and stakeholders in accessing the Bureau’s services. He listed some of the concerns to include long processing timelines, poor communication, and frequent downtime on the Bureau’s electronic documentation platform, Aumentum.

Oniyire urged the Bureau to dismantle bottlenecks that hinder access, streamline processes, and upgrade power and internet infrastructure to ensure steady operations. He warned that continued inefficiency could undermine public confidence and affect the credibility of legal practitioners before their clients.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau, Mr. Kamar Olowoshago, assured that the government had commenced sweeping reforms aimed at repositioning the Bureau for greater effectiveness and public trust.

According to him, the Bureau has received two new generating sets and is installing a solar power system to ensure uninterrupted electricity. He also disclosed that the state government had approved the expansion of the Bureau’s internet bandwidth and that an upgrade of the Aumentum platform would be completed soon.

Olowoshago said plans were underway to establish a multisectoral service desk that would bring relevant agencies such as the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) and the Office of the Surveyor-General under one roof to fast-track documentation and eliminate unnecessary delays.

On allegations of corruption, he urged the NBA to provide verifiable evidence of misconduct by any staff, assuring that such cases would be investigated and offenders sanctioned. He maintained that under his watch, no file stays unattended on his desk beyond 12 hours.

The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that the Bureau had introduced a 24-hour chatbox feature on its Aumentum platform and a monthly regulatory clinic to improve public feedback and engagement.

NBA Ikeja Branch Secretary, Mr. Ayodeji Olabiwonnu, Esq., reaffirmed the association’s readiness to partner with the Bureau in its reform drive, noting that the NBA’s interest is in ensuring that all impediments to lawyers’ work are removed.

Other members of the NBA delegation included the Branch Vice Chairman, Mrs. Chinenye Udeh; Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kayode Agbedejobi; and the Provost, Mr. Femi Dodo.

Also present to receive the delegation were the Bureau’s Executive Secretary, the Registrar of Titles, and other senior officials.