APPRAISAL OF LAND USES IN FCT-ABUJA, NIGERIA

Land is required for various uses in both the urban and rural areas. It is a major factor for production and vital element in the socio-economic development of any country. The study assessed land uses in FCT-Abuja, Nigeria. The study adopted both questionnaire and geospatial data analysis to achieve the stated objectives. A total of 600 copies of questionnaire were administered for the study. Land sal MSS, TM, ETM and Spot-5 satellite imagery of 1996,2000, 2008 and 2018 were used. Results showed that land uses such as agriculture, religion/institutional residential commercial/industrial have all recorded a positive magnitude change while land uses such as under developed. Social/recreational have recorded a negative magnitude change. For example, agricultural land use had increased from 6178.6 hectares to 13638.30 Hectares with a positive magnitude change of 7459.7 hectares and annual change rate of 497.3 hectares. However, social/recreational land use had declined from 7236; 10 hectares and annual change rate of-192.3 hectares. The positive changes in land use were due to rapid people perceived numerous court cases, lake of adequate security of tenure (encroachment), indeterminate boundaries, and inadequate security of tenure owners among others to be the constraints of land utilization in the study area. The study therefore recommended that land management should be decentralized at the local level to bring efficiency and accountability to the system. This would make procedures of land acquisition and registration easier and faster.