Impacts of Land Tenure Insecurity and Property Rights on Agricultural Investment in Crop Cultivation: Evidence from Bakolori Irrigation Scheme, Nigeria

Adequate investment is essential for productive agriculture, food security, and enhanced crop yields, with land tenure security serving as a critical determinant. This study examines the impacts of land tenure and property rights insecurity on crop cultivation investments at the Bakolori Irrigation Scheme, Talata Mafara. Utilizing primary data, including credit access, collateral types, investment amounts, cultivation costs, and yields for rice, maize, and wheat, alongside secondary data, the study employed frequencies, percentages, and Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate relationships among key variables. Findings reveal that farmers rely on formal, informal, or mixed income sources. However, due to land tenure insecurity, no farmers utilize their land as collateral. Correlation analysis demonstrates a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between land tenure security and investment levels (r = 0.502, p = 0.000). This indicates that higher tenure security directly increases agricultural investment, while tenure insecurity suppresses it. To boost effective crop cultivation investment, the study recommends land policy reforms that strengthen tenure security. Enhancing property rights will build farmer confidence and enable the use of farmland as collateral to secure formal credit.