ASSESSMENT OF LAND ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES BY PLATEAU GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (PLAGIS), PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Effective land administration is essential for sustainable development, yet challenges within Plateau State’s PLAGIS hinder this goal. This study assesses PLAGIS’s performance amid growing urbanization and complex land management. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 65 stakeholders—including PLAGIS staff, landowners, surveyors, urban planners, and policy officials—through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. Findings reveal a partially functioning land administration system, with key processes such as land registration, titling, documentation, and dispute resolution experiencing significant constraints. Major challenges identified include political interference, bureaucratic delays, and security concerns, each recording a Challenge Index ≥ 3.0. Other issues—such as inadequate standards, unclear tenure systems, and limited public awareness—scored between 2.2 and 2.8. Less urgent but relevant concerns like weak infrastructure and scarcity of qualified personnel had indices of 1.9–2.2. Despite these obstacles, respondents expressed optimism for reforms aimed at strengthening institutional autonomy, improving funding, and expanding the use of GIS-based technologies. Priority solutions highlighted include enhancing security to reduce land disputes and prevent ownership conflicts that escalate into communal clashes (solution index 3.2), ensuring adequate funding, and safeguarding PLAGIS’s political independence (3.1 each). Additional suggestions include standard adoption, capacity building, and process simplification (2.9 each), alongside harmonizing land laws, increasing public awareness, and continuous staff training (2.8 each). The study recommends full digital transformation of land records, protection from political interference, improved staff capacity, stronger public engagement, upgraded infrastructure, and harmonized policies. A context-sensitive framework will enhance transparency, efficiency, and equitable access while supporting sustainable land governance.