Accessibililty of land as a tool for empowering the low-income earner of the informal sector in Nigeria
Bello, Mustapha Oyewole
In Nigeria, land is not only basic to life; it contains all the necessities for life to exist. From time immemorial, land has been used as a tool for obtaining social prestige, economic security, and political power. Presently, it has been identified as a significant hindrance to efficient housing in our urban centres. For those in the informal sector, the significance of accessibility to land goes beyond the need for housing. In order to access funds and credit facility (for business growth) from government scheme and financial institutions, they need landed property as collateral security. For some, rental payment constitutes the highest component of their operating cost. Accessibility to land therefore, plays a vital role in poverty reduction and enhancing the status of this group of individuals. Although the Land Use Act No 6 of 1978 and 1999 Constitution guarantee (conceptually) equal accessibility to land for all and sundry, but how far has this been achieved in practice? In this wise, this paper sets to highlight the problems of land accessibility in Nigeria with special focus on this vulnerable group that work in the informal sector using Akure, the Ondo state capital as a case study.
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