Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardAgriculture Sector: Roles, Problems, and Development Policies

The Land Use Act of 1978 in Nigeria completely eliminated farmland fragmentation for smallholder farmers by vesting outright private land ownership directly in peasant farmers and removing state government authority over agricultural land allocation.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The statement is false because the Land Use Act of 1978 vested control of all state land in the State Governor under a public trust framework. Farmers receive leasehold rights of occupancy rather than outright individual freehold ownership, and customary inheritance laws continue to cause smallholder land fragmentation across Nigeria.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core statutory provision of the Land Use Act of 1978 regarding land control.
The Act vested all land within the territory of each state in the Governor of that state to hold in trust for all Nigerians, thereby expanding government administrative authority rather than eliminating it.
Identifying legal ownership structures is essential for assessing land tenure reform in agricultural economics.
2
Evaluate the impact of the Act on peasant farmer tenure security and land fragmentation.
Peasant farmers were granted rights of occupancy rather than full freehold ownership, and bureaucratic bottlenecks in obtaining Certificates of Occupancy alongside customary inheritance practices perpetuated farmland fragmentation.
Distinguishing between legislative intent and actual structural outcomes reveals whether key agricultural problems were solved.

Key Concept

Land Tenure Reform and the Land Use Act of 1978 in Nigerian Agriculture
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Agriculture Sector: Roles, Problems, and Development Policies