Assessing land administration systems with their legal frameworks: the case of peri-urban land in Ekiti State, Nigeria
type: CreativeWork
description: The coexistence of customary and statutory law, tenure, and administration in peri-urban areas of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries such as Nigeria may cause conflict and tension. An efficient and effective land administration systems (LASs) and legal frameworks are crucial for ensuring pro-poor objectives in land administration. Women, the vulnerable and the poor who are denied access to efficient and effective land administration services tend to experience tenure insecurity. Nigeria is one of the countries with an inefficient and ineffective LASs. The study explores the possibility of hybrid legal systems contributing to tenure insecurity in peri-urban areas of Southwest Nigeria. This study assesses customary and statutory laws and administration systems pertaining to Ekiti State, Nigeria to understand whether there is legal pluralism. A case study of customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration was carried out using primary and secondary data. The study used three peri-urban cases from Ekiti State, Nigeria (Ikere-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, and Oye-Ekiti) to learn how customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration operate within the same geographical space. The study adopted Soft System Methodology (SSM), with two analytical frameworks: Responsible Land Management (RLM) and Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA). Moreover, the study used institutional isomorphism theory to determine the conflicting pressure exerted on the customary legal framework, comprising the customary courts and the Customary Court of Appeal of a State (CCAS). The LASs with their legal frameworks were assessed using text-based and empirical approaches. The study findings show weak and deep legal pluralism in LASs. The assessment leads to developing conceptual tools for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks. On the one hand, the conceptual tool for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks is based on the three pillars of human rights, the rule of law, and legal pl…
abstract: The coexistence of customary and statutory law, tenure, and administration in peri-urban areas of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries such as Nigeria may cause conflict and tension. An efficient and effective land administration systems (LASs) and legal frameworks are crucial for ensuring pro-poor objectives in land administration. Women, the vulnerable and the poor who are denied access to efficient and effective land administration services tend to experience tenure insecurity. Nigeria is one of the countries with an inefficient and ineffective LASs. The study explores the possibility of hybrid legal systems contributing to tenure insecurity in peri-urban areas of Southwest Nigeria. This study assesses customary and statutory laws and administration systems pertaining to Ekiti State, Nigeria to understand whether there is legal pluralism. A case study of customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration was carried out using primary and secondary data. The study used three peri-urban cases from Ekiti State, Nigeria (Ikere-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, and Oye-Ekiti) to learn how customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration operate within the same geographical space. The study adopted Soft System Methodology (SSM), with two analytical frameworks: Responsible Land Management (RLM) and Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA). Moreover, the study used institutional isomorphism theory to determine the conflicting pressure exerted on the customary legal framework, comprising the customary courts and the Customary Court of Appeal of a State (CCAS). The LASs with their legal frameworks were assessed using text-based and empirical approaches. The study findings show weak and deep legal pluralism in LASs. The assessment leads to developing conceptual tools for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks. On the one hand, the conceptual tool for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks is based on the three pillars of human rights, the rule of law, and legal pl…
author: Babalola, Kehinde Hassan
keywords: Legal Frameworks
date published: 2023
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:45Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38461