Cross River land agency wins national award for digital land reforms

The Cross River State Geographic Information Agency (CRGIA) has earned national recognition for its digital land administration reforms at the 2026 Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards, with the agency’s Director General, William Archibong, also recognised for public-sector innovation.

The awards were presented to Cross River deputy governor Dr Peter Odey when Archibong led a delegation from the agency to the governor’s office. CRGIA was named “Nigeria’s Most Improved State GIS/Digital Land Administration Agency”, while Archibong received the “Distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s Award” for his role in driving technology adoption and institutional transformation.

Odey congratulated the agency, saying the recognition reflected its efforts to modernise land administration through geospatial technology, digital land records and real-time information systems. He reaffirmed Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to supporting digital innovation, transparency and efficiency in public service.

Archibong dedicated the honours to the governor and attributed the achievement to the administration’s backing for institutional reforms. He said geographic information systems now play a broader role in governance, including infrastructure planning, agriculture, environmental management and disaster response.

The awards were conferred by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms under the Presidency during the 4th Nigeria GovTech Conference in Abuja, and were presented on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

Land administration reform has become a priority for state governments looking to widen property tax coverage and speed up titling, with digital registries and geographic information systems at the centre of those efforts.