Posted: 2022 | Pages: 60 | Format: MS Word | Chapters: 1-5 | Others: Questionnaires & References

Price – N3,000

ABSTRACT

The existing traditional land holding pattern in Obe, Nkanu West Local Government Area has created an imbalance between the abundant land and its uses. The lapses attributed with it are the multiple interests, insecurity of tenure, ownership rights and rights to use of land as well as the traditional customs and culture of the people towards land which have constituted a great set back to the use of land in Obe. This study analyzed the impact of traditional land use pattern in Obe, Nkanu West Local Government of Enugu State. To effectively analyze the impacts, the study answered four (4) research questions. Survey case study research design was used for the study. The population of the study was 11,596 and since it is practically impossible to take the entire population, a sample was randomly selected from the entire population using stratified random sampling technique due to the heterogeneous nature of the population. A sample size of 288 was arrived at using the Taro Yamane’s formula. The instruments used to collect data were the use of questionnaires, interview and field observation. A total of 288 questionnaires were distributed of which 268 (93.1%) were successfully completed and returned while 20 (6.9%) were not returned. The study reveals that the major traditional land holding pattern prevailing in Obe community is the family land holding system. The existing land use in Obe community is the residential land use. The study also reveals that lack of farm mechanization is a problem caused by the existing traditional land use patterns in Obe community. To avert the negative effect of traditional land holding patterns on land use in Obe Community, the study recommends that there should be land commercialization, land redistribution, adequate planning and farm mechanization.

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Nwabueze (1972) emphasized that every society has features that characterize it, that of institutional framework; form of cultures, customs and tradition etc. seems to be common to all but still vary mainly in issues concerning land. He further stated that, in every society, land is a fundamental necessity of life. It is the bedrock on which social, political and economic activities of any society operate and function. This function is the various uses to which land is put to, without which human life and society cannot exist.

Ugwu (2008) explained that traditional land holding pattern is a form of land holding that is generally accepted in an area based on the agrarian source of sustenance for the people and the predominant culture. In other words, it is a way in which land is continually held in a place. He further explained that this pattern of land holding was principally cognatic and considered land ownership in terms of community and family land holding. The proprietary land structure defined the pattern of land holding in any society as the body of rules which governs land, relationship between the holder and the other party. This body of rules defined the type of interest that exist in land, the condition under which the interests are being held, ways of acquisitions and transfer as well as the rights and liabilities of holders of land. Traditional land holding gives effect to and reflect the social, economic and some time political demands of the society. Therefore, this may constitute a constraint on use of land by people. This was and still is the problem that Nigeria in general and particularly the southern part are facing which Obe is part of it. This has consequently resulted to a component of land use system dominating in form of subsistence farming, which hinders the operation of other major land uses in the town despite all the government interventions on land through the enactment of land reformation programmes in our society, like the Land Use Act reformation committee that has been set up by the present government. Therefore, it is not surprising that the inability of both the public and private sectors to provide sufficient shelter, infrastructure facilities and the establishment of other different land uses has been attributed to the effect of traditional land holding patterns exiting in Obe.

Mbadiwe (2008), noted that, land use in general, combines a reference to land or space on one hand, and the other hand, the use to which there are put to by population and group or individual who exercise right over it. In other hand, variety is a major attribute of land use, which any given society is dynamic phenomenon. Its pattern generally changes with the increasing population pressure on land, taste and desires of people with technology which resulted to various land uses.