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

Abstract

Nigeria is currently grappling with ecological degradation related to deforestation, soil exhaustion, disrupted agrarian cycles and resource-based conflicts intensified by structural gaps in the Nigerian Land Use Act of 1978. While the Land Use Act is characterised by centralized authority and a lack of ecological mandates, biblical land laws in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15 offer a compelling vision of stewardship, land rest, and restorative justice. This study situates these biblical traditions within Nigeria’s contemporary ecological crisis to explore how scriptural principles can inform sustainable land governance. The objective of the study was to develop a biblical ecological framework for re-evaluating the Land Use Act by examining Old Testament land laws, identifying gaps in the Act, comparing both systems and proposing a model for ecological and justice-oriented reform. Using a qualitative methodology that integrated exegetical analysis, ecological hermeneutics, political ecology and comparative policy evaluation, the study discovered that the biblical principles provide a holistic system of land stewardship grounded in cyclical rest and socio-economic equity. In contrast, the Land Use Act lacks mechanisms for ecological renewal and restorative justice. Thus, the study proposed a model of Covenant Stewardship and Restorative Land Tenure to guide sustainable reforms. The research emphasised that integrating biblical ecological wisdom into Nigeria’s land governance offers a viable path towards sustainability, equity and intergenerational justice.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The originality of this work lies in its new conceptual model, novel methodological integration and groundbreaking comparative application of biblical ecological principles to a contemporary legal framework in Nigeria, an area previously unexplored in academic literature. This study links Old Testament ecological laws with the Land Use Act, proposing the Covenant Stewardship and Restorative Land Tenure framework to guide sustainable, just and ecologically responsible land governance.