Impacts of land management on the efficiency of public land accessibility in Owerri, Imo state

Abstract

Land accessibility is the means by which individuals or groups obtain rights to use, control and transfer land or landed property. This study examined the impact of land management on the efficiency of public land accessibility in Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State. The study focused extensively on the land management systems in the study area with a view to establishing the impacts it has on the efficiency with which public lands are accessed. The population of the study consists of the land owners in the study area, as well as the staff of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning, Owerri, Imo State. The research adopted the survey and case study methods using data collection instruments viz: structured questionnaires, personal interviews and observations. A total number of ninety-five thousand five hundred land owners (95,500) and one hundred and eighty-five (185) staff of ministry of lands housing and physical planning constitute the population of study. The sample size was determined using Taro Yamane Formula and questionnaires were employed to extract information. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical test. A 5- point Likert scale was adopted to measure the weight of respondents’ views. The hypothesis on the relationship between land management system and efficiency of public land accessibility in the study area was analysed using the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and One-Sample T-Test statistical techniques were applied. The study revealed that there are significant challenges associated with the accessibility of public land in Owerri West, and that these challenges in turn exert negative influence on the efficiency of public land accessibility. The study concluded that the implementation of effective land management systems would go a long way in alleviating these challenges encountered in the process of accessing public lands and enhancing the efficiency of public land accessibility in the study area. The study recommended that federal, state and local government authorities should ensure that the management of public land is the sole and maximum responsibility of the government through its relevant agencies so as to enhance the efficiency of public land accessibility in the study area which will in turn ensure sustainability towards social equity, economic development and environmental protection.