In a landmark stride towards transparent land administration and digital governance, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto on Monday commissioned the newly rehabilitated Sokoto Geographic Information System (SOGIS) Centre, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to modernization, efficiency, and investor confidence in the state.
The event, held at the SOGIS facility in Sokoto, was graced by the Executive Governor of Yobe State, His Excellency Mai Mala Buni, who performed the official commissioning of the N698 million project.
This marks the second major project commissioned by the Yobe Governor in Sokoto, earning him gratitude and commendation from the host state.
While speaking, Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the commissioning is not a mere unveiling of a building but the dawn of a new era in digital land administration in the housing sector oland land matters the State.
“SOGIS is now fully automated and equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to support title issuance and land administration at a global standard”
He outlined several groundbreaking features of the upgraded SOGIS centre including Automated Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) where applicants can now obtain their C of O within two weeks as against the past bureaucratic delays.
Also a personalized digital dashboard where every applicant can have a real-time portal to track and monitor their application process from submission to issuance, as well as secure and verifiable documents such as certificates embedded with digital barcodes for instant authentication, enhancing legal security and preventing fraud.
The governor said with the recent improvements Sokoto State will be at the forefront of digital land governance in Nigeria,setting a new benchmark for transparency and efficiency.
Describing the platform as more than just a data system, Governor Aliyu positioned SOGIS as a gateway to economic transformation.
“This project is a signal to investors and development partners that Sokoto is ready for sustainable urban development and economic growth,” he added.
He employs the citizens of the state to take ownership and responsibility, stating that the center is theirs center and should therefore use it in a way that advances the state as we build a smarter, more transparent administration.