EVALUATION OF AN ELECTRONIC LAND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY IN ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL, ABUJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The availability of land as a resource is important to human existence, and its efficient distribution and productive use are of vital importance. In Nigeria, urbanization and industrialization is on the increase resulting into several challenges in land administration and management like flooding, fire incidence and erosion. Planners do not have authentic and up to date information that can help them to make quality designs/decisions. This research work evaluates the Electronic Land Administration System (LAS) in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abuja, Nigeria under the administrative control of Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) using SWOT Analysis. The factors responsible for efficient LAS were identified based on benchmarking approach. Data were collected about these factors from AGIS and stake holders through questionnaires and key informant interview. The evaluation which was done by comparing the standards in AGIS with best practices reveals that the level of infrastructure at AGIS is good, the agency has trained technical officers but they are not sufficient to meet up with the responsibilities of modern electronic LAS. There is system to manage data but the accessibility of the data to the public is poor. The system is deficient in positional accuracy of the data and there is no mechanism for accuracy quality check. Information about each parcel are not fully integrated into the database hence the cadastral is not complete. The policy establishing AGIS meets up with best practices but the implementation is not fully enforced and monitored. The study recommends a prototype internet enabled enables Land Administration System for the study area.