The 15 th AfRES ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 112 COMPENSATION DEFICITS: PUBLIC LAND ACQUISITION EXPERIENCES IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA IHEANYI N ALAKA 1 and JOVITA N NNAMETU 2 1 Lecturer, Department of Estate Management, Imo State University, Nigeria. 2 Lecturer, Department of Estate Management and Valuaton, Imo State Polytechnic, Nigeria. 1 iheanyialaka@yahoo.com ABSTRACT PURPOSE: This paper aims to review and examine how afected claimants/groups achieve acceptable values for their lands during and afer the compensaton process- es in selected communites in south-eastern Nigeria. DESIGN/METHODS FOLLOWED/APPROACH: Both desk research and feld survey approaches were adopted. Relevant data were retrieved from 27 key informants among the Estate Surveyors and Valuers and 104 afected claimants all within the 5 selected States in the South-Eastern Nigeria. Suitable sampling approaches were ad- opted in the study. All feld data collected from both categories of respondents were processed and analysed using simple percentages, Pearson’s moment of correlaton, averages and land price index (LPI), and presented on suitable tables. FINDINGS: The study revealed that some claimants/groups resisted public develop- ments untl more compensaton was received, atempts were made to manipulate the existence of landed improvements, groups ofen forcefully demand ransom in cases where public estates are allocated for developments/investments, and initate new negotatons with users before such developments could be allowed, Valuers lives and practce are highly threatened and ofen lose personal propertes to com- pensaton crises. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Further research is required to broaden the scope of informaton on the extent of individual and community adaptatons to land value negotatons and security of public development projects arising from compulsory land acquisiton in Nigeria. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study gives insight into the worsening illicit ap- proaches to recovery of fair claims to land values as initated by afected individuals or group from such communites within the south-eastern region of Nigeria. ORIGINALITY/VALUE OF WORK: The outcome of this study shall assist both the State governments and the land policy review commitee in Nigeria to undertake further extensive researches into the plights and adaptatons of the afected groups whose lands are yet to be acquired for overriding public purposes.