Assessment of Land Tenure Security and Its Implications for Environmental Investment in Borno State

Secure land tenure is recognised as a fundamental enabling condition for household and community investment in land conservation, tree planting, and sustainable intensification, yet formal land registration coverage in Nigeria's conflict-affected North East remains extremely limited. This study assesses land tenure security conditions and examines their implications for environmental investment behaviour in three Local Government Areas of Borno State. A professional assessment instrument was administered to 150 farming and pastoral households, measuring tenure perception security, documentation status, history of land disputes, and willingness to invest in land improvement measures. Structured interviews with officials of the Borno State Land Administration Authority and Ministry of Agriculture provided institutional perspectives. Econometric analysis using logistic regression examined the relationship between tenure security indicators and investment in tree planting, soil conservation, and water harvesting structures. Findings indicate that only 18 percent of rural landholders in the study area hold any form of formal documentation, with the majority relying on customary tenure arrangements. Households perceiving their tenure as insecure are significantly less likely to invest in tree planting and permanent soil conservation structures. Conflict-related land dispossession and displacement have generated overlapping claims on reoccupied land in post-crisis communities, creating heightened tenure insecurity. The study recommends accelerated implementation of the Borno State Land Administration Policy, promotion of systematic customary land documentation, and integration of tenure security interventions into post-conflict recovery and environmental rehabilitation programming. Keywords: land tenure security, environmental investment, Borno State, customary tenure, post-conflict recovery.