Question

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

In the Nigerian agricultural sector, customary land tenure systems lead to land fragmentation, which hinders farm mechanization and restricts smallholder farmers' access to formal credit.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The statement is accurate because customary land tenure splits farmland across generations into small, disconnected plots. This fragmentation impedes modern mechanical farming and, due to the absence of formal legal title deeds, prevents farmers from securing commercial credit.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the impact of customary land tenure on plot size and structure.
Customary land ownership divides land among family members, leading to severe land fragmentation.
Understanding land distribution mechanisms is key to assessing farm size.
2
Evaluate how land fragmentation affects farm mechanization.
Small, scattered fields make operating heavy machinery like tractors inefficient and costly.
Mechanization requires contiguous, large land parcels for economies of scale.
3
Examine the link between customary land ownership and credit access.
Customary holdings usually lack formal land titles, preventing their use as bank loan collateral.
Commercial financial institutions require legal property deeds as security before issuing credit.

Key Concept

Structural Problems in Nigerian Agriculture: Land Tenure and Credit Access
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