Journal of Information Engineering

Journal of Information Engineering and Applications www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-5782 (print) ISSN 2225-0506 (online)
Vol.3, No.12, 2013
13
Land Information System for Efficient Lands Administration and
Revenue Generation: A Case Study of Trans-Amadi Industrial
Layout, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Ndukwe E. Chiemelu* and Vincent O. Onwumere
Department of Geoinformatics and Surveying
University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus
*emmanuel.chiemelu@unn.edu.ng
ABSTRACT
Land management could be enhanced through effective land administration, which involves the processes of
land registration, Cadastre, valuation and land inventory. Manual Land Administration has been in use by the
Ministry of Lands and Survey in Port Harcourt since its inception. The city and its surrounding have been
expanding rapidly beyond projections. With this rapid expansion, manual Land Administration has become
inefficient, time-consuming and prone to abuses, whereby some land officers siphon revenues generated,
because of inefficient land transaction records; hence, a digital, scientific, and operational approach of Land
Administration was adopted by development of an Integrated Land Information System. However, this has been
achieved by conversion of existing land related information to digital formats with the aid of relevant software
like MS Excel, MS Access, AutoCAD Land Development and ArcGIS 9.2 and the combination of necessary
queries and analysis. The results show an efficient, effective and proper Land Administration and revenue
generation procedure.
Key Words: Cadastre, Land Administration, LIS, ArcGIS, revenue generation.
1.0 Introduction
Land is the most valuable possession of mankind. It is also an important asset of any country. Without land,
there can be no country. Then, the wealth of the nation and its economic development are dependent on the state
of the land and its usage. The availability of funds depends on tax collection. It is apparent, therefore, any
information concerning land is valuable information which serves as a key to financial investments, commerce,
industry and agriculture.
Although land is part of man's natural heritage, access to land is controlled by ownership patterns. Land is
partitioned for administrative and economic purposes, and it is used and transformed in a myriad of ways. Land
information is prime requisite for making decisions related to land investment, development and management.
Information reduces uncertainty by helping to identify and analyze problems.( Enermark, 1999) It is also
recognized that digital Land information systems must be tailored to facilitate an efficient land market as well as
effective land-use administration and thereby, more generally, promote economic development, social cohesion
and sustainable development. Cadastral systems must serve a multi-purpose use and thereby meet the challenge
of a modern GIS and IT environment.
This research covers a wide range of land information system; and synchronizing different administrative
procedures and effective means of generating land related revenue, which have been used presently. Land
records are very important because these form the basis for the proposed land reform programme of the Federal
Government of Nigeria.
1.1 Definitions

Land Information System: Land Information System (LIS) is a "tool for legal, administrative and
economic decision making and an aid for planning and development which consists of a database
containing spatially referenced land related data for a defined area and of procedures and techniques for
the systematic collection, updating, processing and distribution of that data". (Dale , 2000),
(Chandrasekhar, 2000)

Cadastre: The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG, 1995) defines a cadastre as a “parcel based
and up-to-date land information system containing a record of interests in land (e.g. rights, restrictions
and responsibilities). It usually includes a geometric description of land parcels linked to other records
describing the nature of the interests, ownership or control of those interests, and often the value of the
parcel and its improvements. It may be established for fiscal purposes (valuation and taxation), legal
purposes (conveyancing), to assist in the management of land and land-use control (planning and
administration), and enables sustainable development and environmental improvement”.

Land Administration: The term “land administration” is defined as the processes of recording and
disseminating information about the ownership, value and use of land and its associated resources. Such
Journal of Information Engineering and Applications www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-5782 (print) ISSN 2225-0506 (online)
Vol.3, No.12, 2013
14
processes include the determination (sometimes known as the “adjudication”) of rights and other
attributes of the land, the survey and description of these, their detailed documentation and the provision
of relevant information in support of land markets.

Land Revenue Generation: Land revenue generation methods is a process whereby value can be
determined, property tax collection and the nature of land and property markets. It stresses the
importance of land and property in the national economy. It considers the costs and benefits of
improving land administration systems and reviews the potential for recovering fully the costs of
operating a land information system.
1.2 Aim and Objectives
The aim of this project is to emphasis on the development of Land Information system of Trans-Amadi Industrial
Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria, using application software like Ms-Access, AutoCAD Land
Development and ArcGIS 9.2; and how it can be used as a tool for efficient land administration and revenue
generation through relevant queries of database and spatial analysis.
 Specifically the Objectives includes:
1. Conversion of existing coordinates of all survey beacons in trans-Amadi industrial layout from NTM to
UTM (Universal Traverse Mercator) coordinate system.
2. Vectorization of existing analogue layout plan of Trans-Amadi industrial with AutoCAD land
development using coordinates of all existing beacons in the layout plan.
3. Creation of database by capturing all the required spatial and attribute data.
4. Querying of the created database
5. Running of spatial analysis
1.3 Scope of the Project
The scope of the work involves detailed procedures for the development of Land Information System of Trans-
Amadi Industrial layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The project is limited to showing parcel, boundaries, road
network, land use, properties, surrounding creek, survey plans of each plot; and the attributes includes
instruments to land title (e.g. C of O), land registry data and survey attributes data. All these entities and
attributes will form the base for database creation.
2.0 Literature Review
The issue of inefficiencies posed by manual method of keeping land records has become a topical issue in the
world, especially developing countries like Nigeria.(Arnot, 2006)
Magaji Galadima – AGIS: The Journey so Far (2006): In his words stated categorically that the former
Department of Land Administration and Resettlement was operating a manual system of land record
management. These were plagued by numerous bottlenecks and cumbersome, widespread forgeries, document
laundering, and racketeering of land. According to him other problems of land administration include cases of
multiple allocation, unattended applications, allocations from “Parallel Ministry” mismatches in land use, and
encroachments. Other worrisome problems include inefficient revenue generation and collection, as well as
delays in issuing/perfecting transactions in land.
In the same vein, Adeoye (2006): During 5th FIG Regional Conference, Accra, Ghana; posits that Manual
record-keeping has been in use by Land related Departments of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory
(MFCT) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) since the inception of the Federal Capital
Territory almost 30 years ago. The city and its surrounding have been expanding rapidly beyond projections.
With this rapid expansion, manual record-keeping became inefficient, time-consuming and prone to abuses.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made in the past to solve the problems. The attempt failed because of the
gross under estimation of the gravity of the problems and the ill-defined scope of the project. The primary reason
that has hindered the computerization of the Cadastral and Land Registry records in the past is lack of a strong
political will on the part of the authority hence the need to eliminate paper based system.(Arnot, 2006).
A land administration system provides a mechanism that supports the management of real property. The
processes of land administration include the regulating of land and property development, the use and
conservation of the land, the gathering of revenues from the land through sales, leasing, and taxation; and the
resolving of conflicts concerning the ownership and use of the land (Dale and McLaughlin 1988).
Developing a good land information system in Nigeria will be hindered by so many obstacles as stated by
Asoegwu, R.N. (unpublished 2000):
• Most parcels of land have not been located by proper surveys that are tied to the national framework of
controls;
• The records of land already surveyed are either not available or faulty;
• The records that are pertinent to the parcels of land properly surveyed are not located in a central place
or places that are integrate able;
Journal of Information Engineering and Applications www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-5782 (print) ISSN 2225-0506 (online)
Vol.3, No.12, 2013
15
• Inadequate laws that could enforce the compulsory collection of appropriate land data;
• Ignorance on the part of experts to appreciate the need for land records;
• Reluctance of some governments to fund adequately long-term projects that do not yield immediate
profits;
• Initial