Development of automated land information management system (a case study of Bajabure Housing Estate, Yola, Adamawa state).

Abstract

This paper focuses on the creation of a database management system through which information on a particular parcel of land in the study area can readily and easily be accessed. Most of our public agencies responsible for managing the environment (Town Planning Authority, Ministries of land and Survey, and environment.) have very limited data about the environment, where such data are available they are scanty and kept in paper files which age with time. An existing map of the area produced from the conventional ground survey method was used as the base map. Data collection was carried out using field techniques-taking inventories of the developed and undeveloped parcels, the state of the parcels (plots or buildings) and their present uses. Information on land ownership, and method of acquisition were obtained from the Urban Planning Department in Yola. The map used was obtained from the Ministry of Land and Survey, Yola-Adamawa State. This was scanned, digitized and Imported into the Arch view GIS (version 3.2) software package for manipulation. A database was created with the attributes linked to the spatial data using the text tool. An attempt was made to compare the digital database created with the analogue system of data storage. It revealed that any parcel of land can easily and readily be queried. The potential of the database was also tested by querying the data for some randomly selected parcels. Recommendation and suggestion on further research in this area of study include the establishment of a well equipped spatial information unit, checking activities of land speculators through monitoring, addressing "in field:" syndrome-that is, allocation of space provided for adequate ventilation in between adjacent plots, etc. Tracing the history of any disputed plot from the initial allocation was suggested as a means of establishing true ownership of parcel(s).