Land Ownership and Agricultural Commercialisation amongst Farming Households in Nigeria
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
Agriculture is predominantly practiced in rural Nigeria; however, many rural households face limited access to productive land, which remains crucial for agricultural output, food security, and poverty reduction. The persistent challenge of insecure land tenure and unequal ownership rights raises concerns about its implications for agricultural commercialisation across crops, livestock, and fish sub-sectors. Against this backdrop, this study examines the relationship between land ownership dimensions and agricultural commercialisation among farming households in Nigeria, while also assessing the moderating influence of socio-demographic characteristics on these relationships. The study is anchored on John Locke’s Property Theory (1690), which posits land ownership as a fundamental right that enhances economic empowerment and productivity. Using secondary data from the Nigeria Living Standards Survey (NLSS) 2018–2019, the study analysed 2,240 households (2,062 male-headed and 178 female-headed) retained after data cleaning, based on complete information on land documents (a proxy for land ownership) and on engagement in agricultural commercialisation. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics, the Household Commercialisation Index (HCI), Tobit regression, ordered logit regression, and Pearson’s chi-square tests. Findings reveal that title deed (p<0.01), customary certificate of occupancy (p<0.10), right of occupancy (p<0.01), survey plan (p<0.10), rental contract, and lease registered (p<0.01) significantly and positively influenced crop commercialisation among male-headed households. For female-headed households, customary certificate of occupancy (p<0.10) and lease registered (p<0.01) were also positively related to crop commercialisation. Conversely, none of the land documents significantly affected livestock commercialisation. Notably, possession of the right of occupancy reduced fish commercialisation by 1.46 units (p<0.10). Socio-demographic characteristics further exerted significant moderating effects, particularly in livestock commercialisation outcomes. The study concludes that land ownership dimensions significantly shape agricultural commercialisation, with varying effects across gender and sub sectors. It recommends strengthening land tenure security and integrating demographic considerations into land-related agricultural programs. Further research using primary data is recommended to gain deeper contextual insights.
Keywords: Land Ownership Dimensions, Agricultural Commercialization, Farming Households. Socio-demographic.
Word Count: 300
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Keywords
Land Ownership Dimensions, Agricultural Commercialization, Farming Households. Socio-demographic.
Citation
Kate Turabian