Resettlement issues, squatter settlements and the problems of land administration in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital
Jibril, Ibrahim Usman
The first major policy statement made by Government in 1976, when it decided to move the Federal Capital of Nigeria from Lagos (in the coastal area) to Abuja (in the central part of the country) was for complete relocation of the entire inhabitants outside the new Federal Capital Territory, of about 8000 square kilometres. This was aimed at freeing the territory from any primordial claims, and to enable Government take direct control, plan and develop the new city without any encumbrance. Careful enumeration later revealed that the figure was not feww about 150,000 300,000 people. Uprooting such a huge population was thought to be unwise and could have delayed the take off of the project. It was then decided to allow the inhabitants to remain, but could be resettled within the territory, should their places of abode be affected by city development project. This major shift in policy direction can be said to be the root cause of problems of squatters and Land Administration within the FCT. This paper examines these problems and its implications on land administration in the FCT. It argues that policy inconsistencies as well as lack of serious efforts and political will by the government have militated against a lasting solution to these problems within the FCT. Until these issues are properly addressed, the implementation of the Master Plan would be a very difficult task to accomplish in the long run. It examines the recent new Government approach involving all stakeholders. It is expected that once this programs succeed, it would serve as a model for future resettlement programs within the FCT and possibly for Nigeria in general.
Event: 5th FIG Regional Conference for Africa : Promoting Land Administration and Good Governance
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