By Zubairu Idris
A research conducted by the Yusufu Bala Usman Institute, Zaria, on Land Governance, Ecology and Insecurity in four Northern States, has stressed the need for the review of the 1978 Land Use Act in Nigeria.
The Director of the institute, Alhaji Attahiru Bala-Usman, stated this at the dissemination of the research findings, on Tuesday in Katsina.
He said that the work would assist to address some of the insecurity challenges bedeviling the states, especially the farmer-herder conflict.
The director said the research, which was supported by the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, was conducted in Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna States, from 2024 to 2026.
Bala-Usman noted that stakeholders were invited with a view to provide advices that would assist to restore peace in the country.
Dr Adam Higazi, the research team leader, while presenting the general overview of the work, said the review would address the land expropriation which sometimes throw victims into impoverishment and increased risk of conflict.
Higazi said that multiple field trips were carried out in each state during the wet and dry seasons from 2024-2026.
“There is evidence that land expropriation is a major issue in most Northern states.
“Work is needed throughout the country to investigate land governance and land cover change.
“The social, economic and ecological impacts of land grabbing need to be exposed wherever it is occuring, with the aim of addressing these issues,” he said in the findings.
He further said the findings revealed that land ownership and usage determine control over the means of production in rural areas, including labour with clear social, economic and ecological implications.
Dr Zainab Nuhu, another researcher, who presented findings on Katsina State, said that the fieldwork covered 25 local government areas.
Nuhu said that the survey showed severe impacts of land expropriation on individuals, communities and on the ecology.
She cited an instance where about 260 hectares of land in Karkarku, Sandamu local government had been reserved for the establishment of a project in Daura without paying the owners compensation.
The researcher called on the state and the federal government to revisit the issue to settle the said compensation to better the life of the affected persons.