Towards Effective Pro – Poor Land Administration in Nigeria: The Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Every nation requires effective land administration for several purposes. One of such purposes is access to land by everyone, including the poor. Access to land by the poor is imperative for agrarian and rural development, economic growth and poverty alleviation. This paper examines the tools for land administration in Nigeria. The paper argues that existing tools for land administration in the country are elitist, expensive and anti-poor. The paper identifies the Land Use Act of 1978; dearth of qualified land professionals; poverty; corruption and poor governance as challenges to effective pro-poor tools for land administration in Nigeria. The paper concludes that these challenges could be overcome through sustainable land reform and correction of the inadequacies of land administration agencies in the country.