Land Use Policy and Agricultural Productivity Among Smallholder Farmers in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria

This research investigates how current land use policies affect agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. The Land Use Act of 1978 remains the principal legal framework governing land ownership and access in Nigeria, and its implications for agricultural investment and food production continue to generate scholarly debate. Building on political economy theory and recent agricultural policy literature from 2020 to 2024, the study adopts a descriptive survey design. A total of 260 smallholder farmers across three agricultural zones in Kaduna State are sampled using stratified random sampling. Data are collected through structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, and interviews with state agricultural officers. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis are applied to examine the relationship between land tenure security and farm output. The study expects to find that land fragmentation, insecure tenure rights, and limited access to land certificates constrain farmers' willingness to invest in land improvement and modern inputs. It also assesses the role of community land governance structures alongside formal state mechanisms. Findings will provide evidence-based recommendations for land policy reform aimed at improving food security, agricultural investment, and rural income generation in North West Nigeria. The study responds to current debates on revising the Land Use Act to accommodate smallholder interests and climate-adaptive farming. Keywords: land use policy, smallholder farmers, agricultural productivity, Kaduna State, tenure security