The Anambra State Government has set December 31, 2026, as the deadline for holders of old Certificates of Occupancy to recertify their documents and have their land records migrated to the state’s digital database.
The state Ministry of Lands announced the deadline in a public notice dated September 1, 2026, signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs Nkeiru Mokwe.
The ministry warned that the existing land administration system would be shut down indefinitely after the deadline, potentially preventing holders of unrecertified Certificates of Occupancy from accessing several services.
According to the notice, affected transactions include mortgages, Deeds of Assignment, Certified True Copies of land documents and registration of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney, among others.
The ministry said landowners must complete the recertification process and ensure that their records are captured in the Anambra State Geographic Information System database, known as ANAMGIS.
The notice stated, “The old system will be shutdown indefinitely on the 31st day of December, 2026, after which the holders of the old Certificates of Occupancy will no longer be able to carry out any transactions such as Mortgages, Deed of Assignment, Certified True Copy (CTC), Registration of Power of Attorney etc., unless their documents have been duly recertified and captured in the ANAMGIS database.”
The government explained that the exercise was designed to update existing land records and integrate them into the state’s current digital land administration platform.
It urged landowners who had yet to begin the recertification process to submit their applications promptly rather than wait until the deadline.
The ministry further advised titleholders to ensure that their records were successfully captured in the ANAMGIS database before the old system was discontinued.
However, the notice did not indicate that old Certificates of Occupancy would automatically become invalid after December 31.
Rather, the immediate implication of failing to recertify is that affected landowners could lose access to specified transactions and services requiring processing through the Ministry of Lands.
The deadline therefore primarily represents a transition requirement, compelling holders of existing land titles to update their records and migrate them to the state’s digital land administration system.
