GIS Applications in Post-Conflict Land Administration in Benue State

Farmer-herder conflicts in Benue State have caused significant disruption to land tenure and created land administration challenges for displaced communities seeking to reclaim and document their land rights. This study examines the application of GIS in supporting post-conflict land administration in the Logo and Guma LGAs of Benue State. Land parcel boundaries for selected communities are digitised from high-resolution imagery using participatory boundary identification methods involving community representatives. Digitised parcels are linked to claimant documentation within a spatial land information database. Competing claims are analysed spatially to identify overlap and boundary disputes requiring adjudication. Results demonstrate that GIS-supported land documentation significantly reduces processing time for land claims compared to conventional non-spatial approaches. The study further identifies 28 percent of parcels in the conflict-affected zone as having unresolved competing claims. Recommendations are directed at the Benue State Lands and Survey Office and the National Land Commission for scaling GIS-based land documentation in post-conflict recovery contexts. Keywords: post-conflict land administration, GIS, land rights, Benue State, spatial database