LAND REFORMS IN NIGERIA
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LAND REFORMS IN NIGERIA
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Land reform often entails modifying land ownership laws, rules, or conventions. It may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed strategy to land property redistribution, such as the outright transfer of land ownership from citizens to the state in Nigeria.
The change or replacement of current institutional structures governing possession, usage, and title is a common feature of land reforms. Thus, while land reform can be radical in nature, such as large-scale confiscation and land transfers from one group to another or from one group to the state,
it can also be less drastic and conciliatory in nature, such as less painful land transfers to the state and regulatory reforms aimed at improving land administration (Dale, 2007).
Land is likely the most essential natural resource in that it influences all element of a person’s life, including their food, clothing, and shelter. It serves as the foundation for the production of raw materials for the industrial industry.
It is a valuable resource. Without it, no nation-city or rural area can exist as a separate entity. As a result, everyone in a country – the banker, the manufacturer, the labourer, the educator, the student, the planner, and the farmer – has a vested interest in the country’s land problems and its proper utilisation (Acquaye, 1976).
The Land Reform Committee in Nigeria aims to empower governments to be competent land managers. Its goal is to produce a comprehensive cadastral survey of land throughout the federation (a political entity known as Nigeria).
According to its Terms of Reference, it is a necessary organisation to assist both states and local governments in carrying out the cadastre survey and codifying the possessory rights of the vast majority of people access to land and landowners.
The Terms of Reference require the body to collaborate with and provide technical assistance to state and local governments in undertaking cadastral surveys, as well as to ensure the demarcation of land boundaries and title holdings in such a way that communities, hamlets, villages, towns, and so on are recognised.
It was also tasked with encouraging and aiding states and local governments in establishing adjudication mechanisms for land ownership conflict resolution and making recommendations for valuation mechanisms in both rural and urban regions.
Citizens’ tenure security and land rights are critical building blocks for economic development. For many of these, property titles are the primary means of acquiring credit from both informal and formal banking organisations. As a result, establishing land rights and titles is extremely important for all socioeconomic levels in the nation’s economy,
but notably for farmers, whose persistent poverty stems from a lack of clear property rights necessary to a market economy. Furthermore, fees and taxes on such landed properties are significant revenue streams for governments,
particularly at the state and local levels. A national programme that aims to improve and secure the property rights of all groups in society can only result in economic empowerment.
Land Reform funding should thus be a national undertaking carried by all three levels of government in proportion to their capabilities (Mabogunje, 2007).
For a country aiming to become one of the world’s twenty greatest economies by 2020, the situation regarding land rights and transactions leaves much to be desired. The World Bank’s book “Doing Business in Nigeria 2010” ranked Nigeria 178th out of 183 economies in terms of the difficulty of registering property in the country.
According to Mabogunje (2007), this is because “a large share of land in the country is not formally registered [whilst] informal titles cannot be used as security in obtaining loans, limiting financing opportunities for businesses,” particularly small and mediumsized enterprises.
If Nigeria is to address the challenges of competing effectively in an increasingly globalising world, it must prioritise and sustain its land reform programme in all of its ramifications to allow property development.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Land titling and registration are critical for a country’s economic prosperity. The Nigerian nation had a variety of land tenure regimes until the 1978 Land Use Act, which unified all of them.
In Nigeria, arable land accounts for around 33% of total land area, while permanent pastures account for 44%, permanent crops account for 3%, forest and woods account for 12%, and others account for 8%. Thus, land remains the primary asset of rural Nigerians, with over 80% of them being peasant farmers; nevertheless,
this asset has not been effectively utilised for economic empowerment since they lack official records and titles that may be used as collateral to obtain financing. The present Federal Government of Nigeria launched the Land Reform Agenda in an attempt to economically
empower the great majority of Nigerians who live in rural areas by converting their land holdings into economic capital. However, the researcher provides an outline of land reforms in Nigeria, taking into account challenges and potential.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the study’s objectives:
1. To provide an outline of land reform challenges in Nigeria.
2. To investigate the issues of land reform in Nigeria.
3. To examine the solutions to Nigeria’s land reform concerns.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the issues surrounding land reform in Nigeria?
2. What are the issues with land reform in Nigeria?
3. What are the solutions to Nigeria’s land reform problems?
1.6SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are the study’s implications:
1. The study’s findings will educate the general public and students about the challenges, difficulties, and solutions of land reform in Nigeria, with the goal of identifying gaps.
2. This research will also serve as a resource for other academics and researchers interested in conducting additional research in this sector, and if utilised, it will go so far as to provide new explanations for the topic.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This land reforms in Nigeria study will examine all of the concerns and challenges associated with land reform in Nigeria. It would encompass regulatory framework activities as well as the availability of land for Nigerians to use.
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint- A lack of funds tends to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection procedure (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Changes are made to (something, particularly an institution or practise) in order to better it.
The section of the earth’s surface that is not covered by water is referred to as land.
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