What is the SIGFU and how do you use it to verify a plot of land?
The SIGFU (Système Intégré de Gestion du Foncier Urbain / Integrated Urban Land Management System) is the official digital platform of the Ministry of Construction that digitizes the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) procedure. Created by Decree No. 2021-862 and operational since March 2025, it has reduced the ACD timeline from several years to 3-6 months. Portal: sigfu.gouv.ci.
Definition complete
The Digital Gateway for Urban Land in Ivory Coast
The SIGFU (Integrated Urban Land Management System) is the digital platform that orchestrates the entire Definitive Concession Decree (ACD / Arrêté de Concession Définitive) procedure. It brings together in a single point all the actors involved: One-Stop Land Office (GUF / Guichet Unique du Foncier), Urban Domain Directorate (DDU / Direction du Domaine Urbain), Land Property Registry (DGI / Direction Générale des Impôts), Cadastre (SEPMBPE), and the Minister's Office.
Legal Framework
- Decree No. 2021-862 of 15 December 2021: creation of SIGFU and its three governance bodies.
- Interministerial Order No. 757 of 24 July 2020: procedures for issuing the IDUFCI (unique identifier) which forms the backbone of SIGFU.
- Decree No. 2019-220 of 13 March 2019: National Unique Geodetic Reference System (RGCI-2019), the technical foundation for parcel positioning.
What SIGFU Changes for the Buyer
- ACD Timeline: reduced from several years in the pre-2015 period to 3–6 months since March 2025 for a regular file (approved subdivision).
- Traceability: each parcel has a unique IDUFCI of 20 characters, shared among all actors.
- Online Verification: ability to check the status of a lot via sigfu.gouv.ci — useful for due diligence.
- End of Multiple Identifiers: no longer need to juggle between ACD Request No., Land Title No., cadastral file No. A single number (the IDUFCI) follows the parcel from acquisition to transfer.
Land Laboratory
A Land Laboratory was created within SIGFU in 2025, with 8 experimental projects (Proof of Concepts) aimed at leveraging land data for urban planning, land taxation, and fraud prevention.
Utility for the Investor
Before purchasing land, require the seller to provide:
- The parcel's IDUFCI
- A screenshot from SIGFU showing the parcel and its status
- Recent land status (DGI) and state property status (MCLU / Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning)
These three elements cross-check each other: a discrepancy or absence in any one of them justifies suspending the transaction until clarification.
Distinction: SIGFU and SIFOR-CI
- SIGFU concerns urban land.
- Its equivalent for rural land is SIFOR-CI (Rural Land Information System), established by Ordinance No. 2025-85 of 12 February 2025, operationalized in March 2026 in Bongouanou.
Exemple concret
Before investing in a plot in Bingerville, Aïcha consults the SIGFU using the IDUFCI provided by the seller. The system confirms that the parcel is indeed derived from an approved subdivision, and that the state property record (DDU) matches the land registry record (DGI). The transaction can proceed with confidence.
Sources juridiques
Décret n° 2021-862 du 15 décembre 2021 (création du SIGFU). Arrêté interministériel n° 757 du 24 juillet 2020 (IDUFCI). Décret n° 2019-220 du 13 mars 2019 (Référentiel Géodésique RGCI-2019). Décret n° 2019-221 du 13 mars 2019 (création IDUFCI). Magazine BÂTIR N°000 (MCLU, 2019) — annonce des réformes digitales.
Questions frequentes
How do I access SIGFU?
What is the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) timeline through SIGFU?
Does the SIGFU replace the One-Stop Land Office (GUF)?
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Autres termes du glossaire
The ADU (Attestation de Droit d'Usage Coutumier / Customary Right of Use Certificate) is the single, secure document that replaces the former Village Certificate as of January 1, 2025. Established by Decree No. 2021-784 and secured by the SIGFU (Decree No. 2021-862), it requires a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and a unique IDUFCI. The ADU is not a property title: it constitutes a provisional recognition opening the path to the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) — the ACD published in the Land Register IS the Land Title. In practice, the time between ACD signature and its publication in the Land Register is often longer than the official 180 calendar days (BÂTIR N°004, 2022). Published ACD = published Land Title — same legal deed, two stages.
The Rural Land Agency (AFOR — Agence Foncière Rurale) is the public institution responsible for implementing rural land policy in Ivory Coast. It oversees land certification, registration of rural properties, and coordination of boundary demarcation and surveying operations.
Legal document drafted by a notary that formalizes the transfer of land ownership between a seller and a buyer. The notarized deed of sale is mandatory and confers authenticity on the transaction.
Legal entity that must be established with a minimum share capital of 2 million FCFA held by Ivorian nationals, holding an approval from the Minister responsible for Housing and a financial guarantee from a bank or insurance company.
The alienation price is the sum that the buyer must pay to the State to obtain the Definitive Concession (ACD — Arrêté de Concession Définitive) of urban land. Calculated by an ad hoc commission, it corresponds to the market value of the parcel according to the official schedule.