Biblical ecological framework for re-evaluating the Nigerian Land Use Act: An exegetical study of Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15

Key findings from this study

• The study found that biblical land laws in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15 establish ecological stewardship mechanisms grounded in cyclical rest and restorative justice absent from Nigeria's Land Use Act.
• The authors propose that integrating Covenant Stewardship and Restorative Land Tenure principles into Nigerian governance offers a viable framework for sustainable, equitable land management addressing both ecological degradation and tenure insecurity.
• The research demonstrates that the Land Use Act's centralized authority and absence of ecological renewal mandates create structural gaps that contribute to deforestation, soil exhaustion, and resource-based conflicts.

Overview

This study examines Old Testament land laws in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15 to develop a biblical ecological framework for reforming Nigeria's Land Use Act of 1978. The Act's centralized authority and absence of ecological mandates contribute to deforestation, soil exhaustion, and resource conflicts. Biblical stewardship principles offer restorative alternatives grounded in cyclical land rest and socio-economic equity.

Methods and approach

The researchers integrated exegetical analysis, ecological hermeneutics, political ecology, and comparative policy evaluation using qualitative methodology. They examined Old Testament land laws, identified structural gaps in the Nigerian Land Use Act, compared both systems, and proposed a reform model informed by scriptural principles.

Results

The study reveals that biblical land laws establish a holistic stewardship system centered on periodic rest and distributive justice mechanisms absent from Nigeria's regulatory framework. Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15 prescribe cyclical land restoration, debt forgiveness, and equitable resource access—structural features entirely lacking in the Land Use Act. The researchers propose the Covenant Stewardship and Restorative Land Tenure framework as a conceptual model integrating biblical ecological wisdom with contemporary governance needs. This framework addresses ecological renewal through mandatory rest periods and restorative justice through mechanisms ensuring equitable land access and intergenerational sustainability. The comparative analysis demonstrates that biblical systems embed environmental stewardship and socio-economic justice as interdependent governance objectives, whereas the Act treats land primarily as state property subject to centralized allocation.

Implications

Integration of biblical ecological principles into Nigerian land governance structures offers a substantive pathway toward sustainability grounded in theological anthropology rather than purely technocratic policy. The proposed framework reframes land governance as covenantal relationship rather than state resource control, potentially addressing the structural deficiencies driving contemporary ecological degradation and tenure insecurity. This approach bridges Old Testament legal scholarship with African land policy, establishing precedent for scriptural principles informing institutional reform in postcolonial contexts. The study's intradisciplinary contributions span biblical studies, environmental ethics, political ecology, and jurisprudence, suggesting that theological frameworks merit consideration in legal reform addressing interconnected ecological and justice crises.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.