BLOCKCHAIN APPLICATIONS IN LAND TITLE REGISTRATION: A FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA’S PROPERTY SECTOR

Land title registration is one of the most critical mechanisms for securing property rights and ensuring stability in land markets. In Nigeria, particularly in the Southwestern states, the land administration system continues to face serious structural and institutional challenges. Manual records, corruption, inconsistent legal enforcement, and duplication of property titles create uncertainty that discourages investment and fosters disputes. As Omirin (2002) emphasizes, “land markets cannot thrive in an environment where ownership is unclear, contested, or vulnerable to manipulation” (p. 114). This situation has far-reaching economic consequences, as the lack of transparency erodes confidence in the real estate sector and undermines broader economic development. The emergence of blockchain technology offers a potential paradigm shift in land governance. Blockchain’s defining features—immutability, decentralization, and transparency—make it uniquely suited for applications in property registration. The technology enables the creation of tamper-proof ledgers where land records are securely stored, verified, and easily accessible to stakeholders. Globally, several countries have piloted blockchain for land registries, with Georgia, Estonia, and Sweden recording significant success in improving trust, reducing fraud, and streamlining transactions. As Hernando de Soto famously noted, “the mystery of capital is tied to property rights”, and blockchain may hold the key to unlocking more secure systems of property rights in Africa. This study investigates the potential application of blockchain technology to land title registration in Southwestern Nigeria. Specifically, it examines existing practices and their limitations, explores how blockchain has been applied in global contexts, and evaluates the opportunities and risks of adoption in Nigeria. Using a mixed-method research design—incorporating interviews with land registry officials, surveys of property stakeholders, and documentary analysis—the study offers a comprehensive assessment of blockchain’s applicability within Nigeria’s property sector. The theoretical framing draws on the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, which explain how innovations are perceived, diffused, and institutionalized within social systems. The findings suggest that blockchain could revolutionize Nigeria’s land registration by minimizing fraud, reducing bureaucratic delays, and restoring public confidence in property markets. However, implementation challenges such as infrastructural deficits, regulatory uncertainties, and resistance from entrenched interests remain formidable. These results align with earlier empirical work in Ghana and Kenya, which identified similar barriers to blockchain adoption in developing economies. The study therefore calls for phased adoption strategies, beginning with pilot projects in high-volume property markets such as Lagos State, combined with policy reforms, digital infrastructure investment, and stakeholder training. Ultimately, this research contributes to the growing body of scholarship on digital transformation in land governance. By situating blockchain within Nigeria’s complex socio-political and institutional landscape, it provides nuanced insights for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars. It also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, as successful adoption requires synergy between law, technology, economics, and governance. The implications are far-reaching: blockchain could not only strengthen Nigeria’s property sector but also set a precedent for other African nations grappling with similar challenges of land administration and property rights.