Land Use Conflicts in Southwestern Nigeria: Effect on Food Production

This study measured the effects of land use conflict on food production in Southwestern Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used and primary data were collected using structured household questionnaire, key informant interview, and Focus Group Discussions. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Multinomial Logit and the Tobit Models. There were more conflicts on plots (72.9%) during the period of years 2000 - 2010 than 1990 - 1999 (27.1%) showing an increase in the frequency of conflicts in recent years. The most common cause of conflict on plots among farmers was found to be related to the type of access that farmers had to plots (62.0% of the plots) as some access types were more secure than others. On the average, one year of conflict would lead to a decrease of (NGN125,914.00 ±2,000.00) per hectare in income of the farmers from food crops. Land use conflicts negatively affected food crop production within the study area. Also, most of the conflicts were resolved by family heads, village heads, and at farmers' meetings.