The way land is held or owned varies across different parts of the world, depending on existing laws and customs. Similarly, land ownership significantly impacts the purpose and use of the land.
Traditionally, in West Africa, land ownership is either communal or individual. Most land in the region is used for agriculture, and land ownership directly influences agricultural development.
Land Tenure System
Land tenure is the system of land ownership by individuals, families, communities, or government agencies, either for temporary use or as permanent property.
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Classes of Land Tenure System
1. Communal Land Tenure: The land is owned collectively by the entire community, represented by a family, village, or clan. In Nigeria, this traditional practice allows every member of the community access to a piece of land for agriculture. Allottees are free to grow any crops, use the land for various purposes, and make desired improvements without restriction.
However, the allotted land cannot be sold or transferred to outsiders. This system often involves subsistence farming and hampers mechanization and large-scale agricultural practices, despite the abundance of land. Additionally, communal land cannot be used as collateral for bank loans.
2. Inheritance Land Tenure: Land is passed down from generation to generation through inheritance. In Nigeria, most agricultural lands are acquired this way.
3. Leasehold System: This system involves the payment of a certain amount of money for the use of the land over a specified period.
4. Rent Land Tenure: A farmer pays rent for the use of land over a short period, allowing temporary agricultural use.
5. Individual Land Tenure: Land is owned by an individual, either through freehold ownership or rent tenancy.
6. Rent Tenancy: The individual landowner rents out portions or all of the land to farmers as tenants. The tenants pay rent for using the land and may also remit a portion of their yield to the landowner.
7. Land Tenure by Purchase or Freehold: This system involves the outright purchase of land for agricultural purposes.
8. Land Tenure by Free Gift or Pledge: Land is acquired as a gift or pledge.
9. Tenancy at the Will of Government: In Nigeria, the Land Use Decree of March 1978 reformed land tenure by placing land under the control of State Governors and local government authorities. Under this system, individuals are entitled to ½ hectare of land for residential purposes in urban areas, 500 hectares for intensive agriculture, and 5,000 hectares for grazing.
A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued by the government certifies the owner’s authority over the land. Limitations include the lack of freehold title provisions, the difficulty in acquiring freehold titles, and the absence of land consolidation measures, which affects the issuance of a C of O.
Advantages of Freehold Ownership
i. Complete freedom of the owner over the land.
ii. Permanent ownership of land.
iii. Freeholders can use the land for any purpose.
iv. Freehold ownership offers security, allowing for significant investment with the potential for high returns.
Disadvantages of Freehold Ownership
i. Individuals with little or no land cannot rent or buy from freeholders.
ii. Freehold ownership may lead to land fragmentation, which makes intensive or large-scale agriculture difficult and reduces economic efficiency.
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Land Use
Nigeria’s total land area is 92.4 million hectares, of which about 91 million hectares are considered suitable for cultivation. Approximately half of this cultivable land is under permanent crops, while the remaining portion consists of forests, pastures, and built-up areas.
A. Land Use Systems
1. Agriculture: Most of the land in Nigeria is used for agricultural purposes, including the cultivation of food crops, plantation crops, and feed crops. Agricultural activities also encompass pastoralism, bush fallowing, and forest reserves.
2. Non-Agricultural Land: Land is also used for non-agricultural purposes such as housing, roads, railways, seaports, airports, reservoirs, industries, and other infrastructure. Despite population growth and industrial expansion, non-agricultural land use occupies a relatively small proportion of Nigeria’s total land area.
B. Factors Causing Changes in Agricultural Land Use
Several factors contribute to changes in the use of agricultural land:
- The establishment of forest reserves.
- The construction of roads and railways that connect agricultural production areas.
- The development of housing, hospitals, office complexes, and other non-agricultural structures essential for human welfare, which influences land sales by farmers.
- Population growth, which drives the need for increased food crop production for both domestic consumption and export.
This article outlines the various land tenure and land use systems in Nigeria, emphasizing their implications for agriculture and development. Understanding these systems is crucial for effective land management and improving agricultural productivity.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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