What Are The Problems Of Land Tenure System?
What Are The Problems Of Land Tenure System?
Land tenure system brings about the problems of uncertainty, injustice, hierarchy and control. The most important cause of land tenure system in Nigeria is due to the fact that there are many injustices in land ownership.
Unjust land tenure systems make it impossible for every person to own their piece of land as they should be, as every human has a right to own property.
(1) Unfair distribution: Land is not equally distributed amongst people; it tends to be more unequally distributed and owned by some than by others. Large holdings belong to the large holders leaving little for the poor.
This is a very important cause of land tenure system in Nigeria as it creates a situation where the rich are richer, and the poor are poorer.
(2) Injustice: Land tenure system also leads to injustice, which occurs when some people take advantage of other people, this injustice can be seen in different ways:
firstly, some people oppress others and claim that they own their land because some land has been taken from them against their will.
Secondly, most African countries share common problems which are not only caused by inequitable distribution of land but also by injustice in relation to use of land.
(3) Hierarchy and control: The production of land tenure system also leads to hierarchy and control.
Hierarchy is when some people have more power over others in relation to control, for example, government officials, chiefs, and patriarchs make rules which affect the lives of other people who do not belong to this hierarchy or are not part of it.
This is a very important cause of land tenure system in Nigeria because it makes people obey their owners without questioning them. For example, there is no land use planning nor any consultation with the people who will be affected.
The most important consequences are that they let their lands go waste or do not put any investment in their land, which will make it a better place for them.
What Are The Advantages Of Land Tenure System?
Land tenure system brings advantages to the people who own lands. One of the advantages of land tenure system is that it makes people use their lands more carefully and efficiently, which will make them earn more, give them satisfaction, and lead to development.
Another advantage of the land tenure system is that it makes people believe that there are no threats because they know that they own and control their own lands. There are also lots of social benefits that come with land tenure in Nigeria.
For example, many people with agriculture as their source of income take care of their communities and pay taxes accordingly because they know that this is one way to be protected from governmental officials or others who want to take a lot from them.
The land tenure system also brings social developments in that it provides security for the people and makes them believe in their work.
People no longer have a problem with corruption because the land tenure system is there to keep them safe and secure. The land tenure system’s greatest advantage is that it protects households who invest in their land.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Land Tenure System?
Land tenure system brings many disadvantages to the people. One of the disadvantages is that it creates inequality in land distribution. This means that some people are much better off than others, and this leads to a situation where some people have everything and others have nothing.
This can be seen in rural areas because the richer get richer, and the poorer get poorer as time goes by. Another disadvantage is that outside of the official land tenure system are thieves and robbers who steal the total assets of the people, which they then take to their places of residence.
This can be seen in urban areas because there is a lack of security in rural areas. These people think they have nothing to lose, making them steal whatever they like. They go and find out where the rich people live and then steal whatever valuable things they have so that they can sell them.
Then when anyone goes to complain about this theft, there are no consequences as most people do not believe in what they say. This is what corruption is all about. Another disadvantage of land tenure system is that it makes people carry out illegal modes of livelihood and contribute to the problems of underdevelopment.
What Are The Advantages Of Communal Land Tenure System?
One of the advantages of communal land tenure system is that it makes people use their lands in the right way. This means that they will use their lands wisely and efficiently because they own them and want to keep them, which will make them save money.
The advantages are also in terms of social benefits, which happen when people start to pay more taxes because they know that this is what protects them and their communities.
Another advantage of the communal land tenure system is that it creates security in rural areas and leads to peace as people now believe in what they do.
Because they want to keep their land, then they do nothing against the law or try to steal other peoples’ land or property because if this happens, nobody will trust them anymore.
What Is Land Tenure System In Ghana?
The majority of Ghana’s land is owned under customary tenure and is vested in chiefs, earth priests (who have spiritual power over land affairs as the descendants of the original village settlers), or other customary authorities.
The government owns little land. Of the total land area of about 238.7 million hectares (590 million acres), only about 6 million hectares (15 million acres) were in official hands after independence in 1957, largely in the form of forest reserves or military land.
The government has been buying an average of about 1 million hectares annually for resale to farmers since 1961, thus increasing its holdings to almost 11 million hectares (27 million acres) at the time of the 1974 census.
The ownership of land was vested in a traditional system until the early twentieth century when British colonial rule saw a measure of land alienation and the introduction of new forms of tenure.
The government continued to encourage such change by granting concessions and privilege rights to private individuals. By the late 1990s, most tribal domains had been taken over by chiefs, and most customary land tenure arrangements were formalized into official titles or abandoned completely under pressure from farm operators and black marketeers who bought or leased these unregistered lands.
What Is Land Tenure System In Zambia?
Zambia has a dual land tenure system, namely customary and leasehold, with formal protections under the 1995 Land Act. According to figures available at independence, traditional tenure covered around 94% of land in Zambia, with the remaining 6% being state land under leasehold tenure.
The constitution (as amended in 1995) provides for customary tenure, which is used mainly for the land of the San people and allows leasehold tenure. The state has somewhat limited the use of the title deeds system by the various communities.
What Is Land Tenure System In Sierra Leone?
A land tenure system defines the laws for allocating property rights, transferring ownership rights, and properly using and controlling land in an area. Inequitable access to land and imbalanced power relations are considered to have fueled the Sierra Leone civil war.
The country uses three land tenure systems in addition to the ownership rights held by the government and a commercial crop.
What Is Land Tenure System In South Africa?
Land tenure reform aims to provide co-ownership rights for groups and communities residing in former Bantustans, where land in ‘tribal’ regions remains ostensibly state-controlled. It is recommended that these rights be recorded in the National Registry of Deeds.
The Land Act, 99 of 1913 codified the primary rules of land tenure and is still in force today. It provides for the customary tenure of immovable property, with all other property belonging to the state, which regulates the registration of title and alienation.
Land reform was initiated in 1953 (in terms of the Natives Land Act) and was to take place over a wide area over several decades. It failed because successive governments were unable to overcome political obstacles.
What Are The Problems Of Land Tenure System In Nigeria?
Land exploitation and abuse can lead to additional issues such as erosion and general soil degradation, which can have an impact on farming and economic operations. Individual land tenure provides for uneven access to land.
The problem with communal land tenure is that it requires the rights to be registered, and this creates problems for many people such as those who are illiterate or have no access to formal education.
There has been an issue with the land tenure system because some people use it to justify their abuse of others, leading to many issues. For example, seniority determines who owns land first and then moves on to ensure that they control most of the land.
This can be seen in communities where they do not allow one another to use their own lands. When somebody takes something from you against your will, when you know that this person did not pay for it, it is illegal and against your rights.
This is one of the problems with land tenure system that has been an issue for many people like women and children.