MANDATE:
The Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) was established on August 1st, 2017 with the mandate to administer the land resources of the State including land titling (grant of Certificate of Occupancy, CofO) and management of landed properties.
Among others, the Agency is also saddled with the responsibility to administer the land Use Charge (land- based tax) and facilitate land acquisition/compensation and use for overriding public interest on behalf of government.
LAND ADMINISTRATION UNDER GOVERNOR OKPEBHOLO
When His Excellency, Distinguished Sen. Monday Okpebholo took over office as Governor of Edo State in November 2024, Edo people were still groaning under the pangs of land grabbing, hooliganism and Land racketeering with all the attendant security challenges.
However, at the inception of his administration, the State Governor in his quest to cure the malaise, forestall the attendant security implication and restore order in the land administration and allocation system, took a bold step to change the narrative.
First, Governor Okpebholo visited restive communities to thank them for their support during the electioneering, and used the opportunity to meaningfully engage the stakeholders on the need to institute a new Order. He constituted a committee to resolve all Land-induced disputes across the State and bring back peace to restive communities.
Within one year in office, Governor Okpebholo has significantly reversed the ugly trend of land grabbing, hooliganism and Land racketeering, which had created a huge tension within the polity. Today, there is relative peace in parts of the State, and this has greatly inspired the renewed confidence of investors such that the real estate business has received a boost once again.
No doubt, the prevailing peace has served as a catalyst for sustainable economic and social growth with EDOGIS providing cutting edge services across the State.
Within the context of his SHINE agenda, the Governor rolled out his development plan and policy focus to include:
- Security
- Healthcare
- Infrastructure and Road Development
- Natural Resources and Food Security
- Education
INFRASTRUCTURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL RENEWAL IN EDOGIS
Worthy of note is the fact that before Governor Okpebholo took over, the previous administration engaged some expatriates as consultants to develop the software in operation in EDOGIS.
But when the Governor disengaged the expatriates, due largely to observable financial discrepancies, they brazenly disrupted and crippled the operations of the Agency and tampered with the software, in order to sabotage the government.
However, as a forward looking administration, and under his infrastructural development and renewal agenda, Governor Okpebholo braced the odds when he acquired for EDOGIS, a new and better set of technological software to replace those that the Consultants tampered with.
Today, the Agency is back on full stream and enjoying a new lease of life away from the parlous state the Consultants had left it.
The new Managing Director of EDOGIS, Dr. Tony Ikpasaja and his management team have since taken the bull by the horns by expanding the scope of operations of the Agency in line with Governor Monday Okpebholo’s vision.
DECENTRALIZATION OF EDOGIS OFFICES
On assumption of office, Governor Okpebholo did not hide his desire to work for the ordinary people at the grassroots. Desirous of extending the services of EDOGIS to the grassroots, he approved the opening of two new EDOGIS offices; One in Auchi (Edo North) and the other in Ekpoma (Edo Central).
The idea behind this initiative is to ensure that residents in all the Senatorial Districts of the State, including Edo North and Central are able to access the services of EDOGIS at the grassroots without necessarily having to travel to Benin City, in Edo South, where the headquarters of the Agency is located, to transact their land business.
Today, both Auchi and Ekpoma offices have been digitized and automated and have become fully operational. The installation of office equipment, solar power and water tankers have been successfully accomplished.
SUCCESSFUL ENUMERATION & VALUATION OF TWO FLYOVERS & DEFORESTATION FOR EXPANSION
To decongest vehicular and human traffic in the City center, the State Government recently commenced two key Flyover projects, at Ikpoba Hill and Sapele Road by Adesuwa junction. It also acquired 250 hectares of land outside the City center for the New Town Project to accommodate the ongoing, daily expansion.
In the discharge of its mandate, EDOGIS successfully carried out the requisite Acquisition, Valuation and Compensation components of the projects to make it seamless and people friendly.
EMPLOYMENT & MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
Following the gaps noticed, with the withdrawal of the services of the Consultants and their staff engaged by the previous administration,
Governor Monday Okpebholo created opportunity for new intakes who were locally sourced. Majority of them Edo Citizens. After the necessary evaluation a number of new employees were screened, onboarded, trained and deployed to EDOGIS to fit into the agenda and overall vision of the current administration.