The study conducts empirical investigations on the challenges to land registration in the Nigerian context. There is a clear gap in the literature and as such this research is essential to addressing the ongoing problems of land registration in the country. The national law governing land registration in Nigeria is the Land Registration Act No.
However, these programs, which mainly target urban land, are mostly reforms of the land registration process. Thus, land registration reform programs are being implemented by the federal and state governments, which is an indication of the importance attached to it in the country. Thontteh and Omirin (2015) examined land registration reforms in Lagos State with the aim of determining the effectiveness of the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) used in land registration.
In addition, Feder and Nishio (1999) reviewed the literature on empirical works on the benefits of land registration. Over the past two decades, research and political attention on land registration in Africa has grown significantly. References from the literature show that many countries have introduced different forms of land registry.
The second reason is to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that constitute challenges to land registration and the ways in which they limit registration.
Results
Respondents’ Demographic Characteristics
The interviews were conducted in December 2017, January 2018 and April 2018 and with the consent of the interviewees, recorded on electronic devices. Tables 2 and 3 contain the demographic characteristics for the property inspectors and valuation companies and the law firms, respectively. Furthermore, 58.8% of the surveyors had 10 years' experience or less, while 41.2% had more than 10 years' experience.
Respondents who registered their land experienced problems, the most significant of which was the long process of registration. The main reason for non-registration is high cost - "the customer says registration is expensive" - was experienced by 54.7% of respondents. This factor suggests that the client is either not aware of the need to register or does not want to register.
The most important challenges encountered in the process of registration are delays and lengthy processes, which were experienced by 81% and 77.4% of respondents respectively. The results are presented and discussed in themes that emerged from the analysis of the interviews conducted in the study. This requires the applicant to provide two key documents as proof of title – the sale agreement and confirmation of the title of the applicant by the district head, the village head and the ward head of the area where the land is located (M09SS).
Survey plans are prepared for each of the parcels of land by the Surveyor General, and a C of O is prepared in the name of each assignee and executed by the Governor. The Land Use Act of 1978 requires that the consent of the Governor be obtained for any alienation of land rights. Once the governor's consent is obtained, the deed of transfer is stamped and registered and a transfer of ownership takes place.
After registration of the deed of transfer, an occupancy certificate is processed and issued in the name of the assignee. They say the costs are too high in relation to people's income, despite cost savings implemented by the government. They see registration as an exercise for people who were not born in the area (usually called non-indigenous in Nigeria) and buy land from them (M03ES).
They include corruption of public officials, the inefficiency of the registration process, insufficient human capital, civil servants' resistance to change and incomplete documentation from applicants. They identified inefficiencies, registration problems, the Governor's powers under the Act to grant occupancy rights and the requirement for the Governor's consent to dispose of land as the main reasons for the delays and lengthy process (M11L; F12L) .
Discussion of Results
The results have thus shown that there are a number of factors that limit land registration. In addition, there are a number of challenges with land registration, some of which are reasons why landowners do not register their land, while others are challenges encountered in the land registration process. The reasons why landowners do not register their land include: ignorance of landowners, inability of landowners to pay the cost of registration, nonchalant attitude toward land registration by landowners, joint ownership of land, attempts by landowners to avoid paying public taxes such as .eg such as land rents, perceived title below the customary title and delays and lengthy registration process which discourages people.
Similarly, factors that pose challenges in the land registration process include corruption (manifested in making unofficial payments to land registry officials) and inefficient registration process (manifested in poor registration, delays and lengthy and cumbersome processes). All these factors in one way or another limit land registration, resulting in a low level of registration. Furthermore, the low level of registration means that market participants often do not receive sufficient information for their transaction.
There is therefore a need for a strong continuation of the reforms that the government has implemented within the land management system. The findings on the factors that pose challenges to land registration support Babatunde, et al. 2005) who also found similar factors as barriers to land registration in their respective research contexts. Although some respondents say that the cost of registration is low compared to the cost of purchasing real estate, for the majority, purchasing land is a long-term project that requires them to save for several years.
If the cost of registration is high relative to households' disposable income, the willingness and ability to register land is limited. The implication is that land administration reform measures should pay due attention to the costs of land registration, given the level of household disposable income. Even if the challenges of costs and procedures are adequately addressed, there would still be problems of low land registration because people cannot buy into a system they are not informed about even if entry costs are free.
The findings therefore suggest that government reform measures should integrate systematic outreach programs to educate people about the need and benefits of land registration. The problems associated with registration of titles and the high level of lack of formal titles to land have implications for the land market, particularly with regard to security of tenure and ease of land transactions. The implication is the need for the government to continue and further advance its land administration reforms to ensure that they are in line with best practice.
Conclusion
The research has implications for the land and housing markets in Nigeria and Africa in general. Insecurity about property rights is one of the consequences of not registering land titles and limits investments in land. These should include educating the public about the need and benefits of land registration, developing mechanisms to streamline the land registration process and information provision for land market transactions, and introducing payment methods that could ease the financial burden of land registration.
However, it is important to state that improving land registration alone is not sufficient to stabilize land markets or address the urban housing shortage prevalent in African countries. Actions are also needed to tackle urban households' poor access to land and housing finance, ineffective housing policies and the high cost of building homes. This research provides a unique insight into the problems of land registration in Nigeria by exploring the views of the government and the people they govern using a method that combines quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.
They are also important for land transaction consultants in building land registration literacy among their clients. Furthermore, the issues raised in the research are equally relevant to many African countries where land registration and land tenure insecurity have posed significant challenges to the development of land markets. The limitation of the study is that it is based on data from urban land transactions.
Nevertheless, the inclusion of the KADGIS in the study ensures that such an effect is unlikely to be significant. Future researchers should consider exploring further measures to address land registration challenges in the state. Land Management Reforms: Benefits and Challenges, The Role of the Federal Land Information System (FELIS).
The Impact of Land Tenure Interventions on Investment and Agricultural Productivity in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review. Where applicable, put an X next to the option you choose or fill in the appropriate space. If you own land or house, state how you acquired the land a) Direct allotment from State Govt.
