THE ESSENCE OF THE LAND USE ACT, 1978, THE ABUSES AND ITS IMPACT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF LAND FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The enactment  of  the  Land  Use  Decree,  1978  now  adapted  as  an Act  of  the  National Assembly was targeted at consolidating the ownership of land in every state of the Federation in the hands of the Governor of such a state to hold in trust for the citizensof that state. The enactment  of  the  Act  stemmed  from  the  need  for  more  efficient,  planned  and  controlled utilizationof the land in every state for the optimumbenefit of the members of the public. The coming  into  effect  of  the  Land  Use Actunlocked  and  made  land  hitherto  in  the  hands  of natives  available  for  developmental  purposes.  However, in  spiteof  the  benefits  of  the  Land Use  Act,the  Act has  come  under  serious  criticisms  for  various  reasons  among  which  is  the unbridled abuse of power associated with the Governors of the various states in their acts of acquisition and allocation of lands in their states. Whether those arguments and the calls for therepeal  the  Land  Use  Act  are frivolousor  not  should  be  left  for  future  appraisal,  the concernof this workpresently is the tension associated with securing land for development of dwelling  houses  for  members  of  the  public  following  from  the  restricted  naming  of  the overriding public purpose clause in the Land Use Act, 19781and the abuses recorded in the pastover  acquisition  of  land  for  the needs  of  the various  Housing  Corporations  and authorities in Nigeria.