By Simeon OSAJIE
In what stands as one of the most significant single-day rollouts in Edo State Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS) recent history, the agency has once again demonstrated the Okpebholo administration’s commitment to transparent and efficient land governance, as over 500 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) were signed on Tuesday, 11th August 2026.
The exercise fulfils an earlier promise by Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, who had assured Edo State residents of a massive turnout of processed and signed CofO documents as part of his administration’s broader drive to formalise land ownership and boost investor confidence across the state.
The feat was made possible through the sustained reforms instituted by the Managing Director of EdoGIS, Dr. Innocent E. Bello, whose leadership has placed rigorous scrutiny and full-scale digitisation at the centre of the Certificate of Occupancy process.
Under his direction, the agency has not only tightened due diligence on land documentation but has also significantly accelerated processing timelines, enabling EdoGIS to clear substantial backlogs of applications left unresolved by the previous administration.
This latest milestone is a direct expression of Governor Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda, the five-pillar development framework built around security, health, infrastructure and natural resources, agriculture, and education, which anchors his administration’s vision of a “New Edo.” Land administration reform sits squarely within the infrastructure pillar of that agenda, and the mass signing of CofO reflects the same practical, results-driven governance philosophy the Governor has championed across the state, from rural infrastructure empowerment to diaspora investment mobilisation.
Where previous administrations left land documentation mired in delay and uncertainty, the Okpebholo government has approached the sector with deliberate reform and technological innovation, treating secure land tenure as a right that should be efficiently delivered rather than a privilege withheld.
By formalising land ownership at this scale, EdoGIS is also directly reinforcing the Governor’s drive to reposition Edo State as one of Nigeria’s most investment-ready destinations, a priority he has personally taken to platforms as far as London, where he has urged Edo professionals and investors in the diaspora to bring their capital and expertise home. Secure, verifiable land titles are foundational to that pitch, and today’s rollout gives tangible weight to the administration’s promise of practical governance that places the interests of Edo people at the centre of policy.
Stakeholders have described the development as a clear demonstration of good governance in action, noting that the pace and scale of the exercise reflect a shift away from the bureaucratic bottlenecks of the past toward a system driven by accountability and results.
With over 500 CofO issued in a single exercise, the Okpebholo administration continues to consolidate its legacy as one focused on institutional reform, transparency, and the delivery of the SHINE Agenda’s promise to every community across the State.