Legal Analysis of the Right to Preservation and Protection of Land in Nigeria

Abstract

Land is a pioneer possession given to man by God upon man’s creation. It is constant, immoveable and fix. It houses the sea, trees, sources of food to man and balances ecological stand of the universe. Land remains the nucleus of human existence and represents foundation of every man’s possession. Over the years, the right to preservation and protection of land by individuals has been challenged by lot of obstacles in Nigeria. The consequence of the above is that many tribes, communities, villages and individuals have been engulfed in land squabble in constant agitation for a clear legally defined protection and preservation of their rights to land in Nigeria. The motivation of this paper was borne out of the desire to carry out legal analysis of the right to preservation and protection of land in Nigeria. This paper was commenced by a review of relevant laws on the right of ownership and acquisition of land in Nigeria. This was done through doctrinal research method. At the end, it was discovered that the challenge to the right of preservation and protection of land in Nigeria rests on the lacunae in the legal regime for land administration and management in Nigeria. It was based on the above that recommendations were made to wit: amendment of the Land Use Act for the purpose of clearly defining the procedure for revocation of interest and right on land, assessment of compensation and extent of compensation that is adequate in compulsory acquisition of land, among others.