The Prospects and Limitations of Adoption of Community Land Trusts for Rural Development in Benue State, Nigeria

Kenneth Ter Bai and Mamman Mahammad Alhassan
Additional contact information
Kenneth Ter Bai: Sustainable Development Centre, University of Abuja, Abuja
Mamman Mahammad Alhassan: Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Abuja, Abuja

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 11, 651-662

Abstract: This study examined the prospects and limitations of adopting Community Land Trusts (CLTs) as a participatory land and housing model for rural development in Benue State, Nigeria. Using a mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 338 respondents across conflict-affected communities, complemented by six key informant interviews with policymakers and housing experts. Descriptive findings showed a predominantly youthful population (51.2% aged 18-34), a slight female majority (54.4%), and a high incidence of displacement (76%), underscoring the urgent need for sustainable and community-based housing solutions. Awareness of CLTs was generally low (70.7% disagreed they knew the concept), yet respondents expressed openness to their principles, particularly community participation (54.8% agreement) and affordability potential (39.4% agreement). A multiple regression model revealed that CLT-related perceptions accounted for 4.2% of the variance in housing outcomes (R² = 0.042, p = 0.046). Only one predictor, "land tenure customs may limit CLT adoption", was statistically significant (β = -0.179, p = 0.001), indicating that entrenched customary land systems remain a major barrier to feasibility. Thematic insights reinforced the need for legal reform, institutional support, and extensive sensitisation before CLTs can be effectively implemented. The study concludes that while CLTs hold conceptual promise for affordability and community stewardship, their practical adoption in Benue State requires alignment between formal law, customary tenure, and community-based governance frameworks.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ ... 1-662-202511_pdf.pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ ... benue-state-nigeria/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:11:p:651-662

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science is currently edited by Dr. Nidhi Malhan

More articles in International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science from International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dr. Pawan Verma ().