Introduction
The concept of land has consistently occupied a central place in the annals of all human
societies sequel to the enormous role it has played and is playing in the existence of man as a
living and social creature (Okorobia, 1996).In every society, the issues of land stir up a very
strong feeling not only among individuals but also among groups of persons. Presently, it has
been identified as a significant hindrance to efficient housing in our urban centers. For those in
the informal sector, the significance of accessibility to land goes beyond the need for housing
(Bello, 2007). In order to access funds and credit facility (for business growth) from government
scheme and financial institutions, they need landed property as collateral security. Accessibility
to land according to Omirin (2003) is therefore very important especially in improving the
quality of life as it plays a vital role in poverty reduction and human development among
residents. Land accessibility is defined as the processes by which people (individually or
collectively) gain rights and opportunities to occupy and utilize land primarily for productive
purposes and other economic and social purposes, whether on a temporary or permanent basis
(Cotula, Toulmin and Quan, 2006). In other words, access to land is the opportunity or capacity
to own, hold, use, manage or control land (Nichols, Crowley and Komjathy, 1999). Moreover,
access to land is a promising strategy for increasing productive capacity resulting in the
promotion of human development and poverty reduction (World Bank, 2003). According to
Oladehinde, Fatusin and Daramola (2017), land is either not available, or when available it may
not be accessible, and when accessible it may not be usable for a particular use depending on the
land tenure and ownership system of the given society.
In Nigeria, the debate has continued to rage as to the domicile of ownership within the
land management arrangement in the country, particularly with promulgation of the Land Use
Act in 1978. There is dichotomy among scholars, jurist and stakeholders as to where ownership
lies in land matters; that is, whether it is in the State or in the individual citizen. Though it has
been said that; ‘ownership of land per se is irrelevant, it is however incontestable that ownership
of land confers indelible rights and opportunities of the holders of the ownership rights. With
respect to land, ownership refers to the right of the owner of land to possess, use, or otherwise
benefits from, as well as disposes of, the land (Qin, 1994). It is the largest right that can exist in
land. Ownership vests in the claimant an immediate or mediate right to possession of land that is
not restricted or curtailed by any superior right vesting in another person (Olawoye, 1974).
Land management is focused on implementing decisions that have been made on the use
of land resources geared toward ensuring regulatory and supervisory role between land
administration and land policy. Terrafrica (2005) defined land management as “the adoption of
land use systems that, through appropriate management practices, enable land users to
maximize the economic and social benefits from the land, while maintaining or enhancing the
ecological support functions of the land resources”. Land management can be seen to play a
coordinating role between land policy and land administration. Its objectives are to fulfill the
environmental, economic, and social goals of land policy by planning, promoting and
controlling efficient land use through the process of land administration. According to Dale and
Mclaughlin, (1988), it is important to note that, diverse methodologies utilized in explaining the
synergy connecting “land management, policies and administration” do exist, as land
management is seen to incorporate land administration and land policy. An effective land
management system ensures that the land administration tools such as land registration and