Land fragmentation is defined as the division of land into discrete plots dispersed over a wide area but owned by a single household.
In areas of high population density such as the Kano close-settled zone, land may be owned by individuals and passed on from father to son(s). When a man dies in such areas, his land is split among his sons thus, unless the heirs have been able to add to the original total holding through purchase for example, the successive fragmentation of land will mean that the amount of land available to the average person in the family continues to decrease.
Disadvantages of Land Fragmentation:
Land fragmentation is more often believed to be one major problem existing in rural land management, because it decreases agricultural productivity, diminishes the economic opportunities available and is an obstacle to modernization.
More profitable crops, like for example fruit crops, require larger plot areas, so if the farmers only possess small and fragmented plots they may be forced to grow only less profitable crops.
Small and scattered plots hamper the use of machinery and other large-scale agricultural practices. In small fields, operating machines and moving them from one field to another, can cause problems.