Urban Low Income Settlements, Land Deregulation and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

At the start of the third millennium, 47% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. And, a distinguishing feature of the urban growth in developing countries has been the growth of informal settlements. It is estimated that between 20 and 80 % of urban growth in developing countries is informal, usually inhabited by the poor, low incomers. Without secure access to land and the means of production, the paradigm of daily survival compels the poor, due to circumstances beyond their control or influence, to live within short – term horizons that degrade resources and fuel a downward spiral of poverty. These informal settlements have over time evolved informal systems of land tenure relations and management inspite of the state – sponsored land tenure law in Nigeria. Nevertheless, security of tenure for the urban poor is fundamental to any strategy for poverty reduction. And, sustainable development is a call for all stakeholders, through land deregulation, to become allies with the landless by strengthening their capacity to develop sustainable livelihood. This paper, therefore, through case studies and a literature survey examine how low incomers’ access to urban land could be sustained. It further argues for a reform of the existing state land law to make the poor active participants in urban land decisions to enable them overcome their poverty.