LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Application of GIS and Remote sensing technologies in guaranteeing tenure security for
Holder farmers in south Eastern (Geopolitical zone) states of Nigeria-An overview
BY
CHIGBU NJIKE
CHIGBU JENNIFER EZIAKU
APEH M. MICHAEL
NMEREGINI SUSAN
IDHOKO KINGSLEY
ABSTRACT
Agriculture globally is the hub of every economic activity which guarantees survival and
wellbeing of people through guaranteed food security and healthy living. No economy will be
described as advanced, if the people are malnourished..
Major agriculture activities in Nigeria include livestock production and usage, forest reserve,
timber production, fisheries, etc. Before the discovering of oil and hydrocarbons in Nigeria,
agricultural production accounted for a major source of foreign exchange to Nigeria..
In the mid-70s and early 80s, Nigeria (especially the South-Eastern part), was noted for oil
palm production in commercial quantities. Malaysia, a global major palm oil producing and
exporting country today, picked what formed her palm oil hybrid or specie from the SouthEastern part of Nigeria.
Interestingly enough, the drivers of these major sources of natural income are the small
holder farmers with little or no support from the government. Another major clog and set
back in increased agricultural production is that they have no secured tenure neither can they
strongly lay claim to any form of land title.
The reasons for the above anomalies are not far-fetched. Firstly, the existing laws and
regulations (especially the land the Act of 1978 and other regulations in Nigeria) have had
adverse and unfavorable consequences on the poor farmers due its omnibus crafting and
implementation.
Again, the much expected reforms which are expected to bring succor and relief to the small
holder farmers are being handled at a very slow pace and again the farmers cannot reading
use the ineffective title instruments as collaterals for increased funding of their agricultural
investments from the banks or other financial homes. Worst still, the exact location of,
character and definition of these agricultural lands are not known or properly defined and
cannot be precisely estimated. This has remained a mirage as the government, whose primary
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
function at all levels has continued to pay lip service to the comprehensive mapping of the
vast arable land in Nigeria.
Land, particularly geographic locations and mineral deposits has historically been the cause
of much conflict and dispute, land reform programs, which are designed to redistribute
possession and use of geographic land, are often the cause of much controversy and conflicts
over the economic rent of mineral deposits have contributed to many civil wars, particularly
in Africa.
This paper investigated the inherent advantages in the application of geospatial technology to
resource inventory and landuse and landcover characterization in order to expose the latent
benefits therein for security of tenure for small holder farmer aimed at realizing the MDGS
2015 targets on poverty eradication and food security.
Keywords: Agriculture, small holder farmers, security of tenure, Geospatial technology,
poverty alleviation
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Tenure security is often more important than legal classifications of land ownership. Tenure
security refers to the assurance aspects of property rights, or the expectation that rights will
be protected or renewed. It depends both upon the robustness of the rights but also upon a
legal and political environment that supports property rights (Susana, 2010). So, it can be said
that is the enforceable claims on land supported by national regulatory frameworks. Also,
land tenure is the political, economic, social, and legal structure that determines how
individuals and groups access and use land and related resources including trees, minerals,
pasture, and water. Land tenure rules define how rights to use, control, and transfer land and
resources are allocated within societies (Gregory, 2013).
Land is fundamental to the lives the rural poor people, a source of food, shelter, income and
social identity. Secure access to land reduces vulnerability to hunger and poverty. But for
many of the world’s poor rural people in developing countries, access is becoming more
tedious than ever (IFAD 2011). According to IFAD report in 2011 there are about 1.3 billion
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
extremely poor people in the world, struggling to survive on less than US$1.25 a day. About
70 per cent of this population lives in the rural areas of developing countries. In rural
societies, the poorest people often have weak or unprotected tenure rights. They therefore risk
losing land they depend on to more powerful neighbours, to private companies domestic or
foreign and even to members of their own family. For example, when irrigation is introduced
into previously rain fed farmland or roads are built to link farmers to markets, the new
economic potential of the land makes it more attractive and small-scale producers can lose
out to more affluent or powerful settlers.
Celia (2003) observed that land tenure rules, norms and institutions govern access to land and
it is has been considered one of the key factors that define patterns and change in land-use
systems. However, lack of defined land tenure systems has contributed to increased
deforestation in several regions throughout the world (Alston et al., 1999). While Alston et al.
(1999) pointed out that lack of defined land tenure is likely to drive individuals to use land in
an abusive way. It also allows people to diversify their livelihoods by using their land as
collateral, or for outright sell it. Tenure issues affect the everyday choices of the rural poor
women and men, such as which crops to grow and whether crops are grown for subsistence
or commercial purposes. They influence the extent to which farmers are prepared to invest in
the long-term wellbeing of their land or to adopt new technologies and innovations.
Measures to increase tenure security must be complemented by pro-poor policies, services
and investments. Policies beyond the national level are needed to address such issues as use
of irrigation water, migration, pastoralism and conflicts that cut across regional and national
boundaries.
1.1 THE STUDY AREA
Abia State is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Abia is an acronym formed from the initial
letters of four groups of people, namely: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. These
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
constituted the major groups in the state at its creation. At the country’s independence in
1960, Abia was part of the then Eastern Region. From 27th May, 1967, it became a part of
the East Central State, created by the then Head of the Federal Military Government, General
Yakubu Gowon. On 3rd February, 1976, East Central State was split into two states
(Anambra and Imo) by the Federal Military Government headed by General Murtala
Mohammed.
On 27th August, 1991, the Federal Military Government under General lbrahim Babangida
carved out Abia State from Imo State, bringing to thirty the number of states in Nigeria.
Furthermore, in October, 1996, the Federal Military Government under General Sani Abacha
created six more states bringing to thirty-six the number of states in the federation. During
this exercise, four local government areas (LGAs) namely, Onicha, Ohaozara, Afikpo North
and Afikpo South, which occupy the northeastern corner of the state, were transferred to the
(newly created) Ebonyi State. The state covers an area of about 5,243.7 sq. km which is
approximately 5.8 per cent of the total land area of Nigeria. With its capital at Umuahia, it
has seventeen LGAs, namely: Aba North, Aba South, Isiala-Ngwa North, Isiala-Ngwa South,
Ukwa West, Ukwa East, Obingwa, Ikwuano, Bende, Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato,
Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ugwunagbor, Osisioma and Nnochi. Despite that the capital
is Umuahia; the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government
outpost. The state was created in August 27th 1991 from Imo State and predominantly by
Igbo people (95% of population). Abia State is amongst the Niger Delta State of Nigeria as it
is located within the Niger basin and rich in hydrocarbon deposits.
1.2 LOCATION
Abia State is located in the Southeastern region of Nigeria, it lies within approximately
latitudes 4º 40′ and 6º14′ north, and longitudes 7º10′ and 8º 00’ east. The state is bounded to
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
the north by Ebonyi State; to the south and southwest with Rivers State, to the east and
southeast with Cross River, Akwa lbom States respectively while to the west is Imo State,
and to the northwest is Anambra State.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 1.0 Abia State showing the LGAS (Source: Chigbu et al, 2015)
1.3 SOILS AND VEGETATION
The soils of Abia State fall within the broad group of ferrallitic soils of the coastal plain sand
and escarpment. Other soil types include alluvial soils found along the low terrace of the
Cross River and other rivers. The soils are not particularly fertile and are prone to mulching,
leaching because of heavy rainfall. The main ecological problems in the state are sheet and
gully erosion.The vegetation in Abia State is ordinarily considered part of tropical rain forest
which is the dominant natural vegetation in most parts of southern Nigeria. The northern part
of the State has rich Savannah vegetation of which the bamboo is a typical grass species. The
economic trees of the rainforest community are extremely numerous in species and varied in
sizes, but the oil palm appears to be the most important. The southern part of the State lies
within the riverine part of Nigeria. It is low-lying tropical rain forest with some oil-palm
brush.
1.4 RELIEF AND DRAINAGE
Abia State has a variety of land forms, despite the fact that it is dominated by flat and lowlying land, generally less than 120m above sea-level. The low-lying plain is the inland
extension of the coastal plain from the Bight of Benin. The central part of the state is
characterized by undulating land with many hills. The highland areas are part of the Enugu –
Nsukka – Okigwe. This area has an average height of between 120m and 180m above sealevel. From Okigwe (Imo State), this escarpment extends in a west-east direction and, on
getting to Afikpo (Ebonyi State), veers south-eastwards to Arochukwu where it terminates.
There are nine main geological formations from south to north. These include:
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
- The Benin formation (or Coastal Plain Sand),
The Bende-Ameki Group,
- The Nkporo Shale Group,
- The Nsukka formation (Upper Coal Measures),
- The Igali sandstone (False- bedded Sandstone),
- The Eze-Azu Shale Group and,
- The Asu River Group.
Its rainfall is about 2,400 millimeters (94 in) per year especially intense between the months
of April through October. The rest of the State is moderately high plain and wooded savanna.
The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba Rivers which flow into the
Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta.The principal rivers in Abia State are the Imo River
and its tributary, the Aba River. Imo River originates from the northwestern part of the state
and flows southwest through Abia and Imo state territories towards the Atlantic Ocean,
passing through the southern parts of Ukwa-West and Ukwa-East local government areas.
Other important rivers include lgwu, Azurnini Blue River and Akwaibo River.
1.5 CLIMATE
There are two seasons in the year, namely: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy
season begins in March and ends in October with a break in August usually referred to as the
“little dry season.” The dry season which lasts for four months begins in November. Heavy
thunderstorms are characteristic of the onset of the rainy season. The total rainfall decreases
from 2200mm in the i.e. south to 1900mm in the north. The hottest months as are January to
March when the mean temperature it is above 27ºC. The relative humidity is usually high
throughout the year, reaching a maximum during the rainy season when values above ninety
per cent are recorded.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
1.6 THE PEOPLE AND DEMOGRAPHY
The People of Abia are mainly of the Igbo stock. English is widely spoken and serves as the
official language in governance and business while the Igbo language serves as a native
tongue. Globally, the Igbos are well travelled. They are known to be tolerant, ultrademocratic and reputed to be industrious, highly market oriented, very hospitable and
accommodating, probably due to their migratory nature. About 2.4million Abia people are
very entrepreneurial in nature. By the projection of the National Bureau of Statistics, based
on the 1991 census figure of 1.19 million, Abia State was expected to have a population of
3.51 million. In 2006 the National Population Commission allocated 2,833,999 as the
population of Abia State. This figure is being contested at the population tribunal. The basis
being that the survey carried out in Aba showed that Aba alone has more than 1.5 million
houses. Taking each building to house 4 persons, (a conservative figure), it means that Aba
alone has the population of at the least 6.0 million. When the other towns and communities
are put into consideration, then Abia is well over 10 million. National Census of Nigeria
carried out in 1991 puts the provisional population of Abia State at 1,976,805. Out of this
figure, 920,268 are males while 956,434 are females.
In almost all local government areas of Abia State, the population of females is more than
that of males except in Aba area (Aba North and Aba South LGAs) where the population of
males is more than that of females. Settlement Pattern: Abia State has two main urban
centres, namely: Umuahia and Aba. Umuahia, the state capital, has become the
administrative, educational and cultural centre of the It state. In addition, the city is located at
the centre of an extensive agricultural region, which covers most of the central part of Abia
State. It is also strategically located along a well-established north-south trading and
transportation route. The village is the traditional unit of settlement in Abia State like any
other lgbo speaking community. The people are good farmers and keen businessmen. The
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
dispersed type of village settlement is traditional among the lgbos. Each homestead is made
up of houses arranged in an oblong form or around a compound.
At the gate or in the middle of the compound is a shrine for the gods. The hut of the head of
the household is separated from those of his wives and other adult members of the household.
Compounds in lgbo communities are walled, thus separating one compound from the other.
Traditional houses are built of local materials such as clay for the walls and roofed with mat
or thatch or, in more recent times, with corrugated aluminum sheets as a demonstration of
increasing prosperity.
The Problem of Urban Primacy: Of the two major towns in Abia State (Aba and Umuahia),
Aba is the largest. The town is situated on a plain with Aba River Valley on its eastern side as
the only prominent physical feature. It is about 60 km south of Umuahia, the state capital.
According to the 1991 provisional census, the population of the area, now split into two
LGAs (Aba North and Aba South), was 494,152 people.
1.7 RELIGION
The people of Abia State are pre-dominantly Christians of different denominations. There are
also a good number of Muslims, with adherents of the two religions living together
peacefully. Some people in the state are animists, who believe in a Being called “Chukwu”.
The traditional worshippers believe in the ability of deities to exercise strong influence on the
destiny of man.
1.8 TRAVEL
The nearest airport to Abia state is Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport (Owerri Airport), an hour’s
drive to Aba; and Port Harcourt International Airport (airport code: PHC), 2 hours to Aba and
about three hours to Umuahia. The Distance between Uyo (Akwa Ibom) and Umuahia (Abia)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
is: 73.28 kilometers (km). ?The approximately estimated travel/road distance can be around
84.27 km to 91.6 km In Other Unit:?45.54 miles. The approximately estimated travel/road
distance can be around 52.37 miles to 56.92 miles? 39.54 nautical miles. The approximately
estimated travel/road distance can be around 45.47 nautical miles to 49.42 nautical miles.
The rail transport is also another means of travel, very effective but currently on
revitalization. The town is accessible by road from all parts of the eastern states (Imo,
Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa loom, Anambra and Enugu States). Aba is one of the
railway stations on the eastern railway. It has the largest concentration of people in the state.
It is the largest commercial centre in the state with the famous Ariaria Market sited west of
the town, close to the Port-Harcourt-Enugu Expressway.
1.9 FESTIVALS, ARTS AND CRAFTS
Each community in Abia State has different festivals celebrated in honour of its gods and
goddesses, or to mark important events. The beginning of the planting season as well as the
harvest season is celebrated annually. The New Yam festival, celebrated as thanksgiving to
God (Chukwu) by everyone, is pervasive in lgbo land.Works of art produced in the state
include carved doors, stools, walking sticks, traditional flutes, mortars, gongs and pestles.
One work of art particularly worthy of note is the traditional “Akwete’ cloth of Ukwa East.
An outline of the lgbo cultural heritage will be incomplete without a word or two of the lgbo
traditional hospitality to visitors. This is reflected in the presentation of kolanuts to visitors.
The kolanut signifies that the visitors are heartily welcome. The rituals of the presentation of
the kolanut are con- summated with the offering of prayers and thanks- giving or request to
the supreme God and other deities for the protection of the visitor and the host.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
1.9.1 INFRASTRUCTURE & ECONOMY
Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, as it contributes to 39% of the GDP.
Representing 27% of the GDP, agriculture, which employs 70% of the state workforce, is the
second economic sector of Abia. With its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much arable
land that produces yams, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, and cassava. Abia also has
large crude oil deposits. The manufacturing sector only accounts for 2% of the GDP
Besides, there is the Ngwa Market, the Cemetery Market and virtually every street in Aba has
its share of the business activities for which the town is known. There are a good number of
both public and private industrial establishments as well as financial institutions
1.9.2 POLICY THRUST
The states policy thrust is clear and it is in tandem with the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). It is expected that by the year 2020 Abia State would have overcome up to 50% of
its housing problem, ensured that it does not only increase it agriculture produce (cash& food
crops) for life sustenance, but would have put in place processes to add value to the produce
to attract better produce. It is worthy to note that Abia State is collaborating with the National
Independent Power Project (NIPP), to build a power plant at Umuobasiukwu in Ugwunagbor,
which when completed will give life to inventions, innovations etc. in Aba the Japan of
Africa. With these, more SMEs will return to business, more employment would be created
and poverty drastically alleviated. At the national level and regional level, the state would
have contributed greatly to the GDP.
1.9.3 ETHNIC COMPOSITUION, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Abia State is inhabited by the lgbo. The lgbo language is spoken throughout the State with no
restriction to other languages. Abia State is richly endowed culturally. This is evident in the
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
people’s mode of dressing, dancing, arts and crafts, as well as festivals and the widely known
lgbo traditional hospitality.
In Abia State, different types of music abound to suit various occasions. There is music for
work, leisure, childbirth, funeral, and for different festivals. Much of the traditional music is a
combination of the vocal and instrumental artistry which produces a tuneful melody.
2.0
TENURE SECURITY, AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMMES AND SOUTH
EASTERN (ABIA STATE) NIGERIA ECONOMY
When insufficient attention is paid to secure access by small-scale producers and to land
tenure issues, development projects can become part of the problem. Sustainable land
management refers to the activities of humans and implies that activity will continue in
perpetuity. It is a term which attempts to balance the often conflicting ideals of economic
growth and maintaining environmental quality and viability. Economic activities may range
from intensive agriculture to the management of natural areas. IFAD uses various tools and
approaches to strengthen poor rural people’s access and tenure and their ability to better
manage land and natural resources, individually and collectively. These include:
- Recognizing and documenting group rights to rangelands and grazing lands, forests
and artisanal fishing waters
- Recognizing and documenting smallholder farmers’ land and water rights in irrigation
schemes
- strengthening women’s secure access to land
- Using geographic information systems to map land and natural resource rights, use
and management
- Identifying best practices in securing these rights through business partnerships
between smallholder farmers and investors.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
IFAD’s partners in this endeavor include governments, civil society organizations,
development institutions and other United Nations agencies, particularly the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). IFAD is also a founding member of
the International Land Coalition and hosts its secretariat. In 2008, IFAD’s Executive Board
endorsed a new policy on access to land and tenure security, underscoring the importance of
land issues to the organization.
In Abia state IFAD had its 1st PHASE take off in 2006 and ended in 2013 with pilots
communities and LGAs as Umuahia North, Bende, and Ukwa West, while 2nd PHASE from
2013 to 2015 pilots communities as Umuahia North , Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Arochukwu,
Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Bende, Ugwunagbor, Ukwa West. Its agricultural project ranges from
rice, cassava, poultry, piggery, fishery, oil processing, grass cutter etc. Their major target is to
empower women and youth and to reach 90,000 household families within the state. This is
in line with its international agenda on women empowerment as noticed globally today that
more and more women are heading rural households. Yet women often have weak rights to
the land they farm, or are denied rights entirely by law or custom, and even by their families.
This has thrown many women and their children into poverty. However, IFAD’s Women’s
Land Rights Project has been working since 2008 to strengthen land rights for women across
the globe
2.1
ABIA LIBERATION FARMS
The Abia liberation Farms structure was founded in response to global agro-economic
development that calls for the commercialization of small holder agro investments in line
with the federal government agricultural transformation agenda which aim at empowering the
youth in 17 LGAs of the state. The Abia liberation farms objectives include:
- Creation of employment for the people, with a target to create employment for over
5000 youths by the end 2015.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
- Increasing the production of capacity of local supply, and through value addition pull
on products partnership arrangements.
- To industrialize the State through provision of adequate supply of agro- raw materials
and installation of processing.
- Stimulation of competitive prices for agricultural products
- Generation of revenue for the State.
- Currently, their activities include the following:
- Cassava production Abia State Liberation Farms
- Plantain production
- Rice production
- Fish production
- Broiler/egg production.
Abia liberation farms, the in-built sustainability nature of plantain direct investment in
plantains across the 17 local governments areas of Abia state. For other enterprises like Rice
grains production, cassava roots production, pig production, poultry and aqua-culture, Abia
liberation Farm have adopted the strategy of Public-private -partnership (PPP). Presently,
four (4) hectare plantain plantation land acquired for plantain plantation in Okeikpe Ukwa
west and the four (4) hectares acquired for plantain plantation in the Lodu Ndume area of
Umuahia North has commenced. It is the intention of the Liberation Farms management to
establish plantain plantations in the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia state.
2.2
FADAMA AND FARMERS COOPERATIVES IN ABIA STATE
Cooperative careers as wealth creators, they are strong platforms for the development of
small businesses in the world. Considering the low access to credit and other facilities which
in turn have contributed to high unemployment in the country, cooperatives could become
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
relevant avenue for wealth creation. The International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) sponsor most of their programmes in areas such as Capacity building, financial
linkage, advocacy and regulation. The Abia State Farmers’ Cooperative Union Ltd (AFCUL)
in Abia there are 510 primary cooperative societies consisting of twenty five thousand seven
hundred and eleven individual farmers presently in the three senatorial zones. They are
divided into crops and livestock farmers. AFCUL activities include the cassava staple plant,
which is processed out of cassava flour, bread, cake, chips, garri, pounded staple food among
others. The Abia State Farmers’ Cooperative has built a defined production chain of input,
field,
aggregators,
processors,
marketers
and
to
the
consumers.
AFCUL activities go in line with the federal and state government determination to reduce
poverty through skills development and agriculture, adding it is the institution that is
monitoring the activities of affiliated cooperatives in their financing. The cooperatives has
also showed various derivatives and market opportunities in its value chains
thus policy makers can use the initiating programmes to streamline, fund, and monitor
cooperatives especially, among youths who determined to go into it.
2.3
ULONNA NORTH AND SOUTH FARM SETTLEMENTS
Ulonna North and South farm settlements acronym from the land donor communities with a
total of 2313 hectare and 307 respectively is made up six communities in the present
Umuahia, Isuikwuato and Bende local government area. It was acquired under the Eastern
Nigeria Acquisition Notice No, 712 of 6th July, 1964 with the aim and objectives of
mobilizing farmers as a groups and cooperatives for intensive and modern food production
activity on consolidated land holding thereby creating gainful employment and also to
increase the land of agricultural production for domestic use and agro industrial development
,thereby improving on the living standards of farmers through the higher farm income and
general economic growth
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
3.0
GIS, REMOTE SENSING AND TENURE SECURITY IN NIGERIA
Remote sensing provides the basic data to undertake inventory of land, as well as the
temporal information required to monitor sustainable land management practices. Providing
the current population and future generations with an indefinite food supply is an economic,
environmental, and social concern. Geographic information system (GIS) which is map and
database technology that represent Geo-feature enables community planners, economists,
agronomists, and farmers to research and devise practices that will enable the sustainability of
food production to ensure the survival of the human race. Whether implementing organic
farming methods, finding the most profitable and healthy places to plant new crops, or
allotting farmland for preservation to secure future food production, GIS has the capabilities
to collect, manage, analyze, report, and share vast amounts of agricultural data to aid in
discovering and establishing sustainable agriculture practices.
People working in agribusiness use GIS software for precision farming, land management,
business operations, and much more. GIS provides the means to spatially view variables that
affect crop yields, erosion and drought risk, and business opportunities. Farmers are now able
to access online agricultural data from government services such as the USDA’s soil
assessment data or NOAA’s weather and climate data and integrate it into their mapping
projects. This assists them in making well-informed decisions that help increase production
and reduce costs using responsible, sustainable practices. The server-based aspect of GIS
allows sharing of important data across the globe and saves valuable time and resources.
ArcGIS mobile technology provides the means to access and collect agriculturally relevant
data in the field for pest management, soil treatment, and weed abatement.
ESRI’s GIS technology is being used around the world to support sustainable planning for
efficient farming practices. In balancing conservation goals and agricultural needs GIS
technology has proven itself to be a great equalizer throughout the world in the acquisition,
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
management, and distribution of information. In many cases, this technology can be applied
to humanitarian and sustainable development efforts, which are in great need in Africa. GIS
is being used to update the database, allocation of unique land ownership distribution.
With the use of GIS and GPS technologies, the development of
the Participatory
Management Contract Plan can be established thus becoming a framework that allow farmers
to continue their cultivation for a fixed period of time while preserving the trees within their
croplands. It accurately defines the borders of the land, identifying those individuals and
families farming within it, and documenting the trees coexisting within the cultivated areas.
Regional analysts use GIS to collect market intelligence and forecast reliable global
production numbers for the grain, oilseed, and cotton crops. The GIS utilizes several different
satellite data sources climate data, crop models, and data extraction routines for yield and
area estimates to determine production.
Finally, in GIS applications and Potential for Sustainable Land Use the low cost of the
imagery is an obvious advantage for natural resource managers, particularly in developing
countries. Urban planners will also find the imagery of great interest Another potentially
useful application is the use of this imagery for map making updating maps is slow and
expensive, and a number of agencies have been using satellite imagery or ortho-photographs
as a base over which traditional cartographic line work (e.g. roads, rivers, cadastre, etc.) are
placed Perhaps the greatest advantage of rapid delivery of images is for checking and control
of human activities and impacts. This will allow users to monitor new developments, as well
as design methods to assess whether environments are degrading as a result of resource
utilization. Even many other discipline may benefit; an application which is often considered
counterintuitive for sustainable land management. The images will allow strategic targets to
be identified and mapped. Sustainable development agencies use ESRI’s GIS to:
- Predict drought conditions.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
- Monitor water resources.
- Visualize remote-sensing data.
- Model data from many sources.
- Evaluate economic and environmental impact.
- Share data and maps between agencies.
- Comply with planning and reporting regulations.
- Educate and advise communities via online services.
The Ulonna North and South settlement undeveloped plots of 1969 and 534 hectares
respectively has been lying fallow
for years with the aid of GIS and remote sensing
agronomists, and farmers will research and devise practices that will enable the development
the land thus ensuring sustainability of food production to Abians’ and the entire Eastern
States.
3.1 CASE STUDY- LAND USE AND LAND COVER STUDY OF ABA USING HIGH
RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGERIES
Remote sensing can be broadly defined as the collection and interpretation of information
about an object, area, or event without being in physical contact with the object. Aircraft and
satellites are the common platforms for remote sensing of the earth and its natural resources.
Aerial photography in the visible portion of the electromagnetic wavelength was the original
form of remote sensing but technological developments has enabled the acquisition of
information at other wavelengths including near infrared, thermal infrared and microwave.
Collection of information over a large numbers of wavelength bands is referred to as
multispectral or hyperspectral data. The development and deployment of manned and
unmanned satellites has enhanced the collection of remotely sensed data and offers an
inexpensive way to obtain information over large areas. The capacity of remote sensing to
identify and monitor land surfaces and environmental conditions has expanded greatly over
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
the last few years and remotely sensed data will be an essential tool in natural resource
management.
Based on the underlying principles of Remote Sensing and GIS, the landuse and landcover
study of Aba was carried out in order to show the efficacy of the technology in resource
inventory and guaranteeing tenure security for Holder farmers in south Eastern (Geopolitical
zone) states of Nigeria.
Figure 2.0 : RESULTS - CLassifcation Distribution of land cover in Aba - 2007
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 3.0 : Displaying Map result of Classifcation
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 4.0: land covder map of 2007 (Source:Chigbu,et al 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 5.0: land covder map of 2012 (Source:Chigbu,et al 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 6.0: land cover change map of 2007-20122 (Source:Chigbu,et al 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Step 4: Calculating Error Matrix in the classification
Figure 7.0: land cover confusion matrix result (Source:Chigbu,et al 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Table1.0 : ENVI ABA LULC Change Analysis (%)
LULC
ABA 2007 (%)
Builtup
39.050
Thick Veg.
17.161
Bareland
19.047
Water
1.785
Cultivation
22.957
TOTAL
100%
(Source:Chigbu,et al 2015)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ABA 2012 (%)
54.479
21.189
10.087
0.028
14.217
100%
% Change
+ 15.429
+ 4.028
- 8.96
- 1.757
- 8.74
0
Remarks
Increased
Increased
Decreased
Decreased
Decreased
Percentage (%)
Change Pattern of ABA
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
Year 2007
Builtup
39.05
Thick Veg.
17.161
Bareland
19.047
Water
1.785
Cultivation
22.957
Year 2012
54.479
21.189
10.087
0.028
14.217
Change (%)
15.429
4.028
-8.96
-1.757
-8.74
Figure 8.0: land cover change pattern of Aba in Abia State, Nigeria 2007-2012 (Source:Chigbu,et al
2015)
3.2 SUMMARY OF RESULTS
3.2.1 LULC Change Analysis of ABA between 2007 and 2012:
1. Builtup land LULC increased due to rapid urbanization: settlment increase resulting from
population increase.
2. Thickk Vegetation land LULC increase resulting from abandonement of hitherto cultivated
land due to modernization/neglect of agriculture.
3. Bareland LULC change decreased owing to human occupation (infrastructural take-over) of
formerly abandoned land area.
4. Water LULC decreased as a result of urban sprawl in metropolitan Aba. This has lead to
incursion into water ways due to scarcity of land.
5. Cultivation LULC decreased as a result of abandonement of agriculture. Nobody is interested
in cultivating crops with the exception of a very few probably for subsistence use in gardens.
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 9.0 Source: Chigbu et al(2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 10.0 (SOURCE: Chigbu et al, 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Figure 11.0 (SOURCE: Chigbu et al, 2015)
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Table 2.0 AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS AND THEIR LOCATION IN ABIA STATE
VEGETABLE
NAME
LONGITUDE
LATITUDE
1
MBOM
7º31´23´.901ʺ
5º32´ 39´.362ʺ
2
UGWUNAGBO
7º21´47´.34ʺ
5º0´ 17´.994ʺ
OIL PROCESSING
1
OFEME
7º25´38´.521ʺ
5º39´23´.234ʺ
2
UGWUNAGBO
7º21´50´.125ʺ
5º0´15´.209ʺ
RUBBER
1
OHAFIA
7º52´20´.08ʺ
5º35´51´.549ʺ
2
AMAEKE
7º40´52´.106ʺ
5º34´44´.702ʺ
3
NDI OJI
7º41´31´.101ʺ
5º37´9´.538ʺ
4
UKWA WEST
7º25´44´.092ʺ
4º54´43´.756ʺ
PALM PLANTATION
1
OGBOKO OZUITEM
7º35´26´.224ʺ
5º36´16´.617ʺ
2
AMIZI
7º35´54´.077ʺ
5º21´58´.738ʺ
3
ISU ARO OIL
7º51´21´.588ʺ
5º28´50´.966ʺ
POULTRY
1
AMAGBO ISUIKWUATO
7º28´53´.986ʺ
5º45´58´.202ʺ
2
ETTI AKANU
7º22´29´.612ʺ
4º59´50´.29ʺ
3
AMAANGWU
7º26´36´.113ʺ
5º28´35´.796ʺ
4
ARIM ALA-ALA
7º37´27´.878ʺ
5º20´33´.328ʺ
5
ITUNTA
7º37´00´.721ʺ
5º25´59´.121ʺ
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
6
AMIZI
7º35´30.895ʺ
5º21´44´.264ʺ
7
MBOM
7º31´18´.127ʺ
5º233´11´.542ʺ
PLANTAIN
1
OKWOYI
7º32´29´.152ʺ
5º33´36´.610ʺ
2
ETITI AKANU
7º21´3´.121ʺ
5º0´36´.247ʺ
PIGGERY
1
AMANGU
7º26´21´.49ʺ
5º28´25´.351ʺ
2
OGBODRUBE
7º25´10´.465ʺ
5º28´8´.639ʺ
GRASS CUTTER
1
ACHARA AROCHUKWU
7º50´52´.139ʺ
5º28´29´.529ʺ
FISHERY
1
ABAM
7º42´38´.876ʺ
5º25´38´.285ʺ
2
ACHARA IHECHIOWA
7º50´12´.448ʺ
5º28´25´.796ʺ
3
ETITI UGWUEKE
7º37´16´.07ʺ
5º46´46´.391ʺ
4
OHUMOLA
7º39´23´.817ʺ
5º41´23´.173ʺ
COCOA
1
ITUNTA
7º36´35´.334ʺ
5º25´46´.357ʺ
2
NKWEBI OHAFIA
7º50´2´.207ʺ
5º36´5´.215ʺ
CASSAVA
1
OKWOYI
7º31´56´.454ʺ
5º33´35´.591ʺ
2
MBOM
7º31´26´.986ʺ
5º32´59´.556ʺ
3
UMUEZIKE OFEME
7º26´19´.605ʺ
5º39´28´.108ʺ
4
OGBODRUBE
7º25´10´.668ʺ
5º28´33´.209ʺ
5
ARAM ALA-ALA
7º37´48´.971ʺ
5º20´41´.62ʺ
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
6
ABAM
7º41´34´.582ʺ
5º35´18´.996ʺ
7
ACHARA IHECHIOWA
7º50´11´.607ʺ
5º27´54´.041ʺ
8
NKWEBI OHAFIA
7º50´5´.34ʺ
5º36´27´.932ʺ
9
AMAGBO ISUKWUATO
7º29´33´.881ʺ
5º45´58´.227ʺ
10 ETITI AKANU
7º21´9´.39ʺ
5º0´21´.127ʺ
11 OHUMOLA
7º39´5´.742ʺ
5º41´13´.08ʺ
12 ACHI UGWUEKE
7º36´51´.002ʺ
5º46´42´.096ʺ
BEE
1
ISUIKWUATO
7º35´7´.597ʺ
5º21´34´.106ʺ
2
AMAGBO
7º29´19´.78ʺ
5º45´30´.809ʺ
RICE
1
ITUNTA
7º37´12´.936ʺ
5º25´41´.65ʺ
2
ABAM
7º42´24´.708ʺ
5º45´30´.809ʺ
3
OHUMOLA IGBERE
7º38´46´.941ʺ
5º41´2´.112ʺ
4
OFEME
7º26´0´.804ʺ
5º39´7´.74ʺ
ABIA LIBERATION FARM
1
LODU NDUME
7º31´51´.811ʺ
5º29´33´.039ʺ
2
OKEIKPE
7º14´41´.939ʺ
4º56´34´.766ʺ
ULONNA NORTH AND SOUTH FARM SETTLEMENT
1
UMUOBIALA
7º27´55´.081ʺ
5º42´7´.645ʺ
2
LODU
7º28´2´.004ʺ
5º39´44´.923ʺ
3
OFEME
7º25´29´.604ʺ
5º39´30´.634ʺ
4
NKPA
7º30´15´.354ʺ
5º39´40´.159ʺ
5
NUNYA
7º25´20´.009ʺ
5º42´40´.219ʺ
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
6
AFUGIRI
7º27´23´.904ʺ
5º39´25´.872ʺ
4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS:
The following recommendations are proffered:
- Policies and legislation must recognize the many facets of land rights and usage.
Above all, poor rural people must be empowered to participate in policy
formulation to ensure that their needs and rights are addressed and protected
because securing land rights is a complicated business.
- There should be Periodic Promotion of community investor partnerships and
synergy amongst.
- The Government of different sub-regions should develop guidelines for
sustainable partnerships on land that is all involving.
- Community consultation requirement for the granting of land rights to outsiders
- Strengthen community enterprise development and negotiation capacity
- Monitor the implementation of agreements by organizations and agencies that
have stake in land administration.
- Strengthen cross-country research and lesson sharing on use of emerging
technology in solving environmental problems for sustainability.
- Develop set of global land policy indicators that will help in accelerated
development and empower of the rural land dwellers.
5.0 CONCLUSION:
The role of geospatial technology has in so many ways helped to reshape, reform and rehabilitate environmental
vitality. The progressive development in geospatial technology especially remote sensing techniques has
accelerated the improvement of environmental studies for sustainability. Considering, its ready availability,
acquisition cost and resolution characteristics, one can successfully detect land use and land cover changes and
proffer solutions that can improve the delivery of land services especially on the enhanced security of tenure for
small holder farmers in Nigeria. The gains of this ready and emerging technology will impact positively on
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
good governance as geospatial data and information relating to the small holder farmers can be obtained in real
time using this application. .
The rapid advancement in geospatial techniques such as RS techniques has improved in monitoring land cover
changes over the years and even nowadays. The integration of such technologies such as GPS and GIS in line
with Remote sensing techniques serves as a good foundation and better information base upon which sound
planning decisions can be deduced from for one seeking to improve land use, its delivery and governance.
Given the importance of land and natural resources, no group within a society should be excluded from being
able to access to land or related natural resources. It should be such that land and related natural resources are
evenly distributed in any given society. Location-allocation studies using GIS techniques will help in the
redistribution of assets as an ingredient of land reforms for guaranteed tenure security and poverty alleviation in
Nigeria especially south Eastern Geopolitical Zone.
RERENCES:
Alston, L. J., Libecap, G. D., and Mueller, B. (1999). Title, Conflict, and Land Use: The
Development of Property Rights and Land Reform on the Brazilian Frontiers. The University
of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor
Gregory Myers (2013): Securing Land Tenure and Resource Rights
International
Development
USAID
U.S. Agency for
Read
more:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/security-of-tenure.html#ixzz3Og4RfjS1
Matthew Braun and Andrew Pantel (2008): GIS for Sustainable Agriculture
ESRI • 380 New York Street • Redlands, CA 92373-8100 • 909-793-2853 • FAX 909-7935953 • www.esri.com, www.ruralpovertyportal.orgfad.org, www.ruralpovertyportal.org
International Fund for Agricultural Development (2012):12 Land Tenure Security and
Poverty Reduction. Rome. Italy(www.ifad.org, www.ruralpovertyportal.org )
Gibson, C. C., McKean, M. A., and Ostrom, E. (2000). People and Forests: Communities,
Institutions, and Governance, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
LINKING LAND TENURE AND USE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY ANNUAL WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POEVRTY, WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 23-27, 2015
Susana Lastarria-Cornhiel, Brian Robinson, and Margaret Holland Tanya Buckingham:(
2010). University of Wisconsin-Madison Cartography Lab, Published by the Land Tenure
Center. Comments encouraged: Land Tenure Center,
Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
USA kdbrown@wisc.edu; (http://www.ies.wisc.edu/ltc)
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Chigbu Njike( a Registered Surveyor with Surveyor’s Council of Nigeria), is the pioneer
and current head Surveying and Geoinformatics Department of the School of Environmental
Design and Technology of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Nigeria. He has completed his
Doctoral work in Remote Sensing and GIS at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
He is an active member of FIG commission 2 and 3 and also FIG special task force on Africa.
He is a regular participant in FIG conferences and commission meetings. His research interest
is on GNSS, Land use and Land cover change studies, and Environmental sustainability
through spatial intelligence. He is married to Mrs. Jennifer Eziaku Chigbu and blessed with
three kids-Clinton ( Chimgozirim), Chelsea (Ihuoma) and Campbell (Akachukwu).
Contact: njikec@gmail.com
Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Abia State Polytechnic ABA,.
P.M.B 7166, ABA ABIA State, Nigeria
Michael M. Apeh is a senior technologist with the Department of Geoinformatics and
Surveying of Idah Federal Polytechnic. Kogi State, Nigeria. He has a Master’s Degree in GIS
from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. His research interest is on application of
GIS location based studies and Cartography. He is married with kids.
NMEREGINI SUSAN, C. is a GIS Analyst with the Department of Surveying and
Geoinformatics, Abia State Polytechnic ABA,.
P.M.B 7166, ABA ABIA State, Nigeria