Land Tenure Security, Investment Incentives, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Analysis with Evidence from Benue and Enugu States, Nigeria

This study analyses the relationship between land tenure security, investment incentives, and agricultural productivity, drawing comparative evidence from Benue and Enugu states in Nigeria within the broader sub-Saharan Africa context. Insecure land tenure remains a fundamental constraint on agricultural investment and productivity across Africa, and Nigeria's Land Use Act continues to generate debate about its net effects on land access, investment, and smallholder welfare. Drawing on property rights theory and recent comparative land policy literature from 2019 to 2024, the study employs a cross-state comparative research design. Structured questionnaires capturing land tenure experiences, investment behaviour, and farm productivity data are administered to 320 smallholder farmers across four local government areas in each state. Benue represents a customary tenure-dominant context while Enugu represents a state with higher rates of formal land certificate issuance. Endogenous treatment regression and instrumental variables estimation address potential endogeneity in tenure security measurement. The study expects to find that documented tenure security significantly increases investment in farm improvements, irrigation, and agro-processing among Enugu farmers, while customary tenure in Benue, though providing social legitimacy, does not provide the same investment incentive effect. Findings will contribute comparative evidence to Land Use Act reform debates and the design of affordable land formalisation programmes for Nigerian smallholders. Keywords: land tenure security, agricultural investment, productivity, Benue State, Enugu State