A Karu Based Experience about the Effect of Informal Land Delivery Channels’ on Housing Supply

Abstract

For a long period of time, urban land delivery system in Nigeria has seen a stable association between formal and informal channels, which is going till date. Instead of the provision of the Land Use Act of 1978, which granted states (the second tier of government in Nigeria) the authority to hold and administer all lands within their territorial jurisdiction, interests for urban land are still largely being expressed through the informal mechanisms. These transactions continue defying all odds associated to it. This research established the extent to which informal land delivery channels has influenced housing supply in Karu, the gateway city to Nigeria’s capital Abuja. Data were obtained through primary sources, analyzed, and presented in matrixes. The outcome of this research suggests about the accessibility and economical value of lands. This has led development and financing options are the important factors that influence the choices of urban residents particularly the majority who are the low-medium income earners preferences of informal land delivery for their housing development. Despite their deficiencies as it regards; tenure security has been strengthened by its social legitimacy and possible upgrade to statutory status.Thus, the main conclusion of the study is that the predominant influence of these factors on the urban land market will continue to sustain the informality of land access and directly determine the rate of residential housing supply in most Nigerian cities. The study recommends that the operations of the informal land channel should be standardized as it promises to bea sustainable alternative to the formal system.