LAND FRAGMENTATION IN NIGERIA: BALANCING THE DRAWBACKS FOR SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Land fragmentation is a complex phenomenon characterized by the physical, economic, and social partition of land into smaller, isolated parcels. Hence, this study examined the effects of land fragmentation on real estate development in Nigeria using Nasarawa town as a case study. The residents/occupants of Nasarawa Town were the study’s target population. The research revealed the availability of various types of land fragmentation such as internal fragmentation, separation fragmentation, fragmentation based on use, ownership, spatial, temporal, ownership and administrative fragmentation. The study also identified inheritance, historical/cultural perspectives, privatization and transition process, population growth and land market development as key factors contributing to land fragmentation. More so, conflict in boundary lines, small size of plots, irregularities in shape and conflict in boundary lines were identified as major constraints associated with land fragmentation in the study area. In addition, the researched revealed that land fragmentation has resulted into an increase in the number of land users and increase in land parcels thus further enhancing promoting real estate development. The study concluded that while land fragmentation may result in parcellation and division of land into smaller plots; it actually enhances more access to land and subsequently enhances sustainable real estate development. It was therefore recommended that the Government should develop and implement land consolidation policies that aid in efficient utilization of fragmented lands such as vertical development amongst others in order to enhance real sustainable estate development as well as the encouragement of land banking in a view to reducing land fragmentation and ensuring land use efficiency.