Security of land tenure: A comparative analysis among sub-ethnic groups in rural communities of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Security of land tenure is widely believed to contribute to rural development. However, few studies have compared the issues as well as the drivers of security of land tenure among rural areas of different sub-ethnic groups in rural communities of Oyo State, Nigeria. This study compared the security of land tenure among sub-ethnic groups in rural communities of the study area. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 335 respondents from the three sub-ethnic groups in the study area. The study discovers that the majority of the respondents do not have a written agreement on land while 100%, 80%, and 67.3% of the respondents from Oyo, Ibarapa, and Oke-Ogun sub-ethnic groups respectively, have not experienced conflict. Findings show that gender, age, income, education, length of stay, and landholding system were the significant drivers of security of land tenure among the sub-ethnic groups. The study concluded that the occurrence of conflict, security of rights on farmland, and level of security of land tenure differs among sub-ethnic groups in the study area. The study advocated for intervention programs on land tenure security that are sensitive to the needs of the rural poor and adopt a holistic approach toward efficient land management and administration in the study area.