EVALUATING RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF RESIDENTIAL LAND ALLOCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON HOUSING NEEDS IN ADO EKITI, NIGERIA

The rising demand for residential land underscores housing as a crucial resource for survival. However, residential land is still very inaccessible in most developing nations, with Nigeria not an exception. This study investigates the residents' perception of the land allocation process in meeting housing needs in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Three estates were purposely selected for the study. They include GRA Egbewa 3rd Extension, GRA Ijan Road, and GRA Iworoko Road, all in Ado-Ekiti. Two hundred thirty-seven questionnaires were distributed which 233, representing 98%, were retrieved. Simple percentages were utilized to analyze allottees' perceptions of the Land Allocation Process, while challenges related to the process were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The findings show that most respondents perceived the land allocation process as inefficient, with only 42.86% considering it efficient and significant delays extending beyond six months for most applications. The findings suggest that the impact and importance of each challenge vary depending on the location. Favouritism and nepotism are seen as a major problem in GRA Ijan Road and GRA Iworoko Road, ranking highest in both areas, while it is less of a concern in GRA Egbewa 3rd Extension. The significant difference (chi-square = 30.805, p = .000) indicates a varied perception of this challenge across the areas. Misappropriation of responsibilities is perceived differently across the areas (chi-square = 7.047, p = .029), while bribery and corruption show significant variation, with the highest concern in GRA Iworoko Road (chi-square = 7.483, p = .024). This research contributes to understanding the role of land allocation in mitigating housing shortages and offers insights for policymakers to enhance the effectiveness of housing delivery in Ado-Ekiti.