citizens unfettered access of redress through the courts.
13 Unfortunately, in Nigeria,
soil governance is biased against promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring
food security. In terms of legal implications under the Nigerian context, governance
of the soil or land differs from “land” or “soil” management. Thus, soil governance
entails national, regional and international collaboration between governments, the
private sector and individuals. The aim is to attain thorough implementation and
enforcement of coherent policies that encourage practices and methodologies that
regulate usage of the soil or land as a natural resource and to avoid conflict between
users, as well as to promote sustainable land management.
14 Similarly, soil management, involves usages including techniques that ultimately increase and maintain
soil integrity in terms of fertility, output in relation to agricultural yield and carbon
sequestration as conceived under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
3 Nigerian Realities
3.1 Political Dimensions to Soil Governance Conflict
Before the advent of British colonial rule, Nigeria was comprised of chiefdoms,
kingdoms and autonomous ethnic societies with separate political and customary
institutions. The British initially created three separate political and economic
entities—Northern, Southern and the entity administered by the Royal Niger Company (RNC) called the Oil Protectorate. The north had its administrative headquarters in Lokoja, while the headquarters of the south was in Forcados. Faced with the
reality of consistent budget shortfalls in the North and surpluses in the South, the
British amalgamated the three areas for administrative convenience in 1914, with
Lord Lugard, the first colonial Governor-General, extending his dual mandate to the
entire area which he called Nigeria.
At the end of the Second World War and with the establishment of the United
Nations, the British colonial government was pressured to grant self-rule and
independence to Nigeria. In 1960, Britain installed a northern dominated government which in turn manipulated the result of the 1962 census for ethnic reasons.
According to Professor Cathering S.M. Duggan
15 :
. . . When the census results were released this manipulation was obvious, and another
census had to be taken in 1962 which was also highly politicized. The census was not the
only count subject to manipulation; the 1964 elections were also filled with voter rigging and
intimidation. The government was overthrown on January 15, 1966, when a group of
predominately Eastern army officers killed the Prime Minister and several ministers.
13 Orubebe (2017), p. 51.
14 UNEP (2016), p. 33.
15 Duggan (2009).
Soil Governance and Sustainable Land Use System in Nigeria: The Paradox of. . .
161
13 Unfortunately, in Nigeria,
soil governance is biased against promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring
food security. In terms of legal implications under the Nigerian context, governance
of the soil or land differs from “land” or “soil” management. Thus, soil governance
entails national, regional and international collaboration between governments, the
private sector and individuals. The aim is to attain thorough implementation and
enforcement of coherent policies that encourage practices and methodologies that
regulate usage of the soil or land as a natural resource and to avoid conflict between
users, as well as to promote sustainable land management.
14 Similarly, soil management, involves usages including techniques that ultimately increase and maintain
soil integrity in terms of fertility, output in relation to agricultural yield and carbon
sequestration as conceived under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
3 Nigerian Realities
3.1 Political Dimensions to Soil Governance Conflict
Before the advent of British colonial rule, Nigeria was comprised of chiefdoms,
kingdoms and autonomous ethnic societies with separate political and customary
institutions. The British initially created three separate political and economic
entities—Northern, Southern and the entity administered by the Royal Niger Company (RNC) called the Oil Protectorate. The north had its administrative headquarters in Lokoja, while the headquarters of the south was in Forcados. Faced with the
reality of consistent budget shortfalls in the North and surpluses in the South, the
British amalgamated the three areas for administrative convenience in 1914, with
Lord Lugard, the first colonial Governor-General, extending his dual mandate to the
entire area which he called Nigeria.
At the end of the Second World War and with the establishment of the United
Nations, the British colonial government was pressured to grant self-rule and
independence to Nigeria. In 1960, Britain installed a northern dominated government which in turn manipulated the result of the 1962 census for ethnic reasons.
According to Professor Cathering S.M. Duggan
15 :
. . . When the census results were released this manipulation was obvious, and another
census had to be taken in 1962 which was also highly politicized. The census was not the
only count subject to manipulation; the 1964 elections were also filled with voter rigging and
intimidation. The government was overthrown on January 15, 1966, when a group of
predominately Eastern army officers killed the Prime Minister and several ministers.
13 Orubebe (2017), p. 51.
14 UNEP (2016), p. 33.
15 Duggan (2009).
Soil Governance and Sustainable Land Use System in Nigeria: The Paradox of. . .
161