THE EFFECT OF LAND USE ACT ON SUSTAINABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
ASTRACT
This study was intended to evaluate the effect of land use act on sustainable housing development in Nigeria. This study was guided by the following objectives; to examine the effect of land use act on sustainable housing development in Nigeria, to investigate the influence of land use act on ease of land access by Nigerians, to identify the factors limiting sustainable housing development in Nigeria.
The study employed the descriptive and explanatory design; questionnaires in addition to library research were applied in order to collect data. Primary and secondary data sources were used and data was analyzed using the chi-square statistical tool at 5% level of significance which was presented in frequency tables and percentage. The respondents under the study were 45 employees of the ministry of housing,Lagos branch. The study majorly focuses on the effect of land use act on sustainable housing development in Nigeria.
The study findings revealed that land use act has a significant effect on sustainable housing development in Nigeria; based on the findings from the study, efforts should be made by the Nigerian government and stakeholders in providing sustainable and affordable houses as this would enhance housing development in Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Land use regulations and controls are used to restrict the rights of private land holders in the use of land. The regulations are used to protect public interest in the use of private land. The regulations stem from the need to provide public amenities, to increase the efficiency of land-use, to limit urban sprawl and unnecessary encroachment on agricultural land, and to achieve economies of scale and least-cost production of public services (Courtney, 1983). The regulations are also used to ensure the availability of land to all groups, and to ensure that the benefits of development go to the community as a whole.
Today, if you buy land in Nigeria and you do not have the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from thegovernment, it is not yours, all you have is a lease, that is, you never have a freehold. You cannot even haveaccess to any loan or do anything tangible if you do not have fund of your own, not even the National HousingFund which was set up by the government to render such assistance. Yet the Certificate of Occupancy is evenmore difficult than getting the land itself. All efforts by some State Governments especially the Lagos Stategovernment to ease the procedure and collection have been described as mere gimmicks. We have heard seriesof cases where Governors wield their powers to revoke legally acquired rights of occupancy in the interest of thepublic, whereas it was obvious that they were done on political reasons especially against oppositions. Theformer President of the federation who was the author of the Act when it was promulgated during his firstmilitary administration had to reassure Nigerians on 26th of September 2001 in Abuja that “no government ownsland” and that “land belongs to the people”. This statement was made when he was condemning the excesses ofthe Governors. As stated above, since it is a known philosophy that laws are made by men for men and areoperated, implemented and enforced by human beings through various legal institutions, our concern is how theAct has affected sustainable housing development schemes in Nigeria.
Several controversies that were created by the Act have been well documented in different reactions and
write-ups (Mabogunje (2007; 2011) and Aluko (2007; 2009; 2010) dealtexcessively on the gory state of affairs about the housing situations in Nigeria ingeneral and how it could be sustained. In this research study, we try to examine the effects that the LandUse Act has had on sustainable housing provision in Nigeria. Since one of the major areas of the Act is tocontrol future uses and open new land for the needs of Nigeria’s growing population especially in urban areas,yet there is still the outcry of the people to affordable housing provision.
