Land Tenure System - Types, Advantages And Disadvantages

Hello, welcome to my hall on the topic: Land Tenure System – advantages and disadvantages.

Table Of Contents

At the end of this article, students should be able to know:

Meaning of Land tenure system
Classification and types Land tenure
Advantages and Disadvantages of Land tenure.

Revision Questions

What is Land Tenure?

Meaning: Land Tenure can be defined as the system of land ownership or acquisition by individual, family, community or government agency either for temporary or permanent use.

The land tenure system in West Africa varies with tribe, community and States. It can be classified into the following groups:

Classification and types of land tenure system

Communal land tenure

Land Tenure by inheritance
Leasehold system
Land Tenure by tenancy(Rent)

Land Tenure by purchase or freehold.
Land Tenure by free gift or pledge
Tenant at the will of government

COMMUNAL LAND TENURE SYSTEM

Features: In this type, the land belongs to the entire community. The community may be a family, clan or village. Every member of the community has the right to use the land for agriculture but cannot sell any portion of it. The head of the community who may be a chief and OBA, obi, emir or a baale decide how the land is to be divided among the members for farming purpose usually at the beginning of each planting season. The system relies on their availability of large area of land that can be shared to each member of the community.

Advantages of Communal Land Tenure

Each member of the community has easy access to the land.
Co-operative farming is possible since the land is extensive.
Large scale farming or plantation agriculture is possible due to his large size if only community members corporates. You can read more about large scale farming here

The land is cheap to acquire and no cost is involved.

Disadvantages Communal Land Tenure

Non members of the community cannot have access to the land for farming.

There is usually lack of corporation among community members if the land is to be used for large scale farming
Increase in population definitely tends to reduce the size of the farmland shared to each member.
It cannot be used as security to obtain loan from Bank.

Mechanization is difficult to introduce because the farmland is scattered and small.
Permanent crops like cocoa, rubber or oil palm. Etc. Cannot be established because of possible relocation of the land in another season.
It discourage permanent land development such as building of structures and alley family.

It leads to the fragmentation of land into small and scattered units.
Cooperative effort for of farmer are discouraged; thereby, leading to failure to adopt modern agricultural techniques.

LAND TENURE SYSTEM BY INHERITANCE

Features: This is the types of land tenure system in which land is inherited from one parents or from one generation to another. In Nigeria for example, land for agricultural activities are mainly acquired through inheritance. The land so-inherited from a single parent is shared among all his children and this eventually leads to fragmentation of the Land. It’s gives the owner complete freedom on the Land. The owner may sell the land, leave it to fallow, farm on the land or rent it out. The land can be used as collateral for agricultural loans.

Advantages of Land Tenure by Inheritance

The land can be used as collateral to obtain loan from the commercial Banks.

The land can also be improved by way of fertilizer application in order to maintain it’s fertility.
Perennial crops like cocoa, orange, oil palm, Rubber, etc. Can be planted since the land belong to the rightful owner.

Disadvantages Of Land Tenure by Inheritance

It leads to excessive land fragmentation which makes the land very difficult and on the uneconomical to work.
Sharing of land is a delicate issue which can generate enemity among family members.
It is very difficult to access as far individual has the right to use and control a piece of inherited land freely.

Cultivators are tied to their plots, partly because they are unwilling to part with what they have.
Such agricultural land is subject to traditional restriction in many parts of Nigeria unlike the concept of land sale widely accepted in urban areas.
Land is usually readily available for everybody.

Large scale commercial agriculture cannot be practiced because the land is highly fragmented.

LEASEHOLD SYSTEM OF LAND TENURE

Features: This types of land tenure requires the payment of setting amount of money for the use of the land over a stated period of time. In other words, leasehold tenure system is a special contract existing between a person called the Leasor and another called Leasee for the lease of a piece of land for a specified period of years, which may be 10 years, 20 years, 50 years. The Leasee will exercise his righs on the use and maintenance of the land for the period of lease.

Advantages of Land Tenure System by Leasehold

It ensures the use of available land.
It enables a farmer to maximize the use of the Land in terms of maintenance of the soil fertility in order to improve the periodicity of the crops.

Disadvantages Of Land Tenure System by Leasehold

The land can not be used as security to obtain loan from commercial Banks.
the Farmer cannot develop the land beyond the lease agreement terms

perennial crops like oil palm, cocoa, rubber, etc. Cannot be grown.

LAND TENURE BY TENANCY (RENT)

Features: In this system, the Farmer rent the land for use over a short period of time during which certain amount of money is paid as rent for the use of it. At the end of the period the agreement may be reviewed if the landlord so desires.

Advantages of Land Tenure System by Tenancy (Rent)

It makes use of available land for agricultural purposes.
The land is efficiently used and maintain for maximum production within the short period.

Disadvantages of Land Tenure System by Tenancy (Rent)

The land cannot be used for securing loan.
It affects long-term planning

There is limitation in the development of such land.

LAND TENURE BY PURCHASE OR FREEHOLD

Features: In this type of land tenure a farmer buys a piece of land for agricultural purposes. He pay certain amount of money to the landlord and the land becomes his personal property. It gives the owner complete freedom on the land. He may sell the land or rent it out. The owner can use the land as collateral for agricultural loans.

Advantages of Land Tenure System by Purchase

The Farmer can use the land to secure loan from the bank.
Perennial crops can be grown.

Proper planning in the development of such land can be done.

Disadvantages of Land Tenure System by Purchase

The land may be too expensive to purchase.

The actual ownership may be difficult to establish.
The Farmer may not have sufficient money to buy the exact size of the Land he needs.

LAND TENURE BY FREE GIFT OR PLEDGE

Features: This is the type of land tenure in which land is denoted or given out of Goodwill or free of charge in appreciation or as an incentive. The new owner doesn’t need to pay any money.

Advantages of Land Tenure by Free Gift

It ensures the maximum use of the land increased production.

Plantation agriculture can be practiced.
It can be used as security to obtain loan.

Disadvantages Of Land Tenure System by Free Gift

The ownership of the Land can be challenged at any time.
There maybe disagreement over such gifts among family members.

TENANTS AT THE WILL OF GOVERNMENT

Features: This is a system of land tenure in which a piece of land is given or allocated to a farmer by the government. The land belongs to the government and the Farmer has to pay certain amount of money to the government for using such land, usually for a stipulated period of time.

Advantages of Land Tenure by The will of Government

Farmers can easily have access to the land.

The land is wisely used for productive purposes
The land is cheap to acquire
The land can easily be improved by way of fertilizer application.

Disadvantages of Land Tenure System by the will Of Government

Permanent or perennial crops cannot be cultivated.
Farmers cannot use the land as collateral to secure loans from the bank

They are usually lots of bottlenecks or bureaucracy in the allocation, regulation and control of over such land.
Such Land can easily be revoked, if the tenant fails to pay the rent at the right time.

See Also

Quick Revision Questions for Students

What is a land tenure?
List the types of land tenure we have.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of land tenure by rent?

Outline the advantages and disadvantages of communal Land tenure.
List 4 advantages and disadvantages of land tenure by purchase. (b) List 4 advantages and disadvantages of land tenure by tenancy.
(a) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of land tenure by inheritance. (b) List 3 Advantages of freehold land tenure.