Impact of Compulsory Land Acquisition for Public Infrastructure on Project Communities’ Livelihoods and Environment in Delta State, Nigeria

Land acquisition for the construction of road infrastructure in Delta State always faces resistance from the affected communities, especially related to the results of the assessment of compensation. This protest from project communities is an indication of a gap on the impact on the quality of life of the affected claimants. This paper examines the impact of land acquisition on the livelihood and environment of people whose lands were acquired as a consequence of accelerating road infrastructural development policy in Delta. The study uses data collected from secondary sources and questionnaires administered on 180 affected claimants in Delta State selected from nine (9) communities across the state using a multistage sampling procedure. The study found that acquisition has a negative effect on affected people’s livelihood such as landlessness, joblessness, homelessness, marginalization, increased morbidity, food insecurity, loss of access to common property, and social disarticulation. The study recommended that the government should ensure that some of these vexed issues on compulsory land acquisition related to landlessness, joblessness, homelessness, marginalization, increased morbidity, food insecurity, etc. are addressed.