Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that owners of landed properties in the state enjoy appreciable turnover on their assets over time, promising an enabling environment for private investors to thrive in the state.
Oyebanji stated this during a courtesy visit by the members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) at the Governor’s office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Monday, March 16, 2026.
He noted that with the level of investors visiting Ekiti State to invest in real estate, he envisioned the possibility of turning barren lands into bustling commercial hub in the nearest future.
Oyebanji said: “One area that we’ve been challenged is the issue of land administration in the state and we’ve embarked on a very ambitious massive land reforms in the state to ensure that we digitise the system and put everything on a cadastral and it’s going on now with the help of Professor James Olaleye.
“I think by the time we finish, anybody that has land in the state, will have a bankable asset. It’s been tough, it’s been capital intensive, but it’s something we need to do because I believe strongly that land is one asset that if not carefully managed, you know, it can make or mar a people.
“One thing we have also done as a government and it’s a policy that if we are going to take over your land, which is your asset, we have to compensate. We have not taken over any land asset in the state without paying compensation because I believe strongly that if I’m going to take your means of livelihood, I must provide an alternative for you to live.
“So you cannot say you are developing and you are impoverishing your people. So, as a policy of government, there’s nothing we have done in this state when it comes to land acquisition, we pay compensation.”
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According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Yinka Oyebode, a major highlight of the visit by the NIESV leadership was the investiture of Oyebanji as patron of the reputable professional body.
Governor Oyebanji, therefore, expressed his appreciation to the NIESV for the honour and promised to live up to the expectations and standards desired of a patron by collaborating with the institution to achieve its goals and objectives nationally and at the state level.
Earlier, the president of the institution, Dr Victor Alonge, described Ekiti State under Oyebanji as a rising citadel of progress undergoing rapid development and transformation.
This, according to him, has catapulted the governor into a national relevance, made him a canvass for the artistry of good governance and a reference point in raising the bar of governance.
Alonge revealed that the NIESV Council approved the decoration of Oyebanji as its Patron in recognition of his developmental strides at showcasing developmental initiatives in areas such as massive infrastructural development, agriculture and food security, industrialisation, and security, among others.
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