A neo-institutional economic critique of the system for allocating urban land and development rights in Nigeria

Egbu, A; Olomolaiye, P; Gameson, RN

Abstract

Governments in sub-Saharan Africa have relied on received colonial land use planning institutions to manage and
control the form of their cities. The approach adopted has involved the nationalisation of land and development rights
and extensive application of rigid bureaucratic approaches to the allocation of land and development rights. This paper
applies principles of neo-institutional economics to critique current land use planning practice in sub-Saharan Africa. Results of an empirical study in Nigeria are used to demonstrate the failure of current land planning system while advocating for competition of institutions in the allocation of land and development rights in the cities of Africa south of the Sahara.

Citation

Egbu, A., Olomolaiye, P., & Gameson, R. (2008). A neo-institutional economic critique of the system for allocating urban land and development rights in Nigeria. Habitat International, 32, 121-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2007.08.003

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2013
• Journal: Habitat International
• Print ISSN: 0197-3975
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Pages: 121-135
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2007.08.003
• Keywords: Market failure; Specialist interest groups; Public choice; Property rights
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2007.08.003
• Related Public URLs: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01973975