SFTAS: Jigawa Set for Migration to GIS

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Leveraging the World Bank-backed State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme, Jigawa State is migrating from the traditional land administration procedure to information communication technology-centred property registration system, via the Geographic Information System (GIS).

SFTAS, which is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, is designed to increase fiscal transparency and accountability, strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation, strengthen efficiency in public expenditure and ensure sustainable debt management at the sub-national level.

States, which meet Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs), are provided grants outlined by the federal government.

The Jigawa State Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Urban Development and Regional Planning, Hon. Sagir Ahmed, who spoke in his office in Dutse during a media assessment tour of the implementation of SFTAS’ processes in the state, said the state sees SFTAS as a way of improving its revenue generation, especially via property taxation.

Ahmed stated that at the commencement of the programme in 2020, Governor Abubakar Muhammed Badaru demonstrated enormous political will to see to its success.

According to him, the governor appointed a 13-member committee with about seven commissioners and the Deputy Governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, as the chairman of the property registration programme.

He noted that since then, his ministry has been collaborating with the coordinating office in the World Bank.

The commissioner said: “They have guided the ministry since the inception of the project to get to a level where we are about to now do validation for the data that we have generated, and we keyed into this project with expectation because the World Bank has stated what we need to do in terms of property registration – to open about 20,000 parcels of buildings across the state.

“In our wisdom, we looked at the urban centres we have in the state, and we have worked collaboratively with our different zonal offices across the state to implement the project.

“Without wasting much of your time, we would like to use this opportunity to tell you that we have been able to record much success in that direction and that has really come at a time when we needed the project.

“It came at a time when the state government is trying to migrate from the traditional land administration to one that imbibes ICT, particularly embracing the Geographic Information System in our activities as a state.”

According to him, with the engagement with SFTAS, property registration had enabled his ministry to prepare adequately for launching the Jigawa State Geographic Information System, adding that the governor has already approved the procurement of all the equipment and facilities required to launch the GIS.

“We have already engaged consultants and they have really been working with this ministry to see that we effect that GIS in our operation.

“One thing we did — we tried to look at the GIS in phases and come up with a way we can have quick wins in order to be able to compete favourably among other states that have deployed GIS.

“As SFTAS is concerned with property registration, Jigawa State is among the eight states that have really been able to complete all the work that is expected of it,” Ahmed stated.