Stakeholders have sounded a fresh alarm over Nigeria’s 1978 Land Use Act, warning that the law is worsening insecurity, land disputes, and rural poverty across northern states.
At a research dissemination forum, lead researcher Adam Higazi revealed that excessive control of land by state governments has led to widespread dispossession of farmers and pastoralists, pushing many into displacement and vulnerability to crime.
The study, covering Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, and Bauchi, linked land alienation to rising banditry, kidnappings, and economic hardship, stressing that loss of livelihoods is fueling unrest.
Participants called for urgent reforms to make land ownership more inclusive, protect rural communities, and curb environmental damage caused by unchecked land allocations.
The forum, hosted by the Yusufu Bala Usman Institute, urged policymakers to act fast, warning that without change, insecurity and poverty may continue to spiral.
About The Author
