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Inter-communal land conflicts in Benin City, Nigeria: Exploring the root causes in the context of customary land supply

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  • Agheyisi, Justin Eduviere

Abstract

Inter-communal land conflict in Benin City has increased owing to informal land subdivision by land owning communities. As development intensifies, boundaries between communities in peri-urban areas become distorted leading to contestations and violent conflicts. However, little is known about the roles of organized groups in these conflicts. The legal pluralism in land ownership in Nigeria and the ineffectiveness of the State’s Land Law have created informal land market in which leaders of land owning communities dominate. This paper explores these issues through a case study of boundary dispute that developed into violent conflict between two communities in Benin City. The findings revealed that at the root of the conflict were material and emotional needs of groups seeking power and wealth which resulted in diverse claims. Other endogenous factors underlying the conflict were the socio-cultural environment of urban land market and local power relations among the actors involved.

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  • Agheyisi, Justin Eduviere, 2019. "Inter-communal land conflicts in Benin City, Nigeria: Exploring the root causes in the context of customary land supply," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 532-542.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:83:y:2019:i:c:p:532-542
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.02.027
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Onyebueke, Victor & Walker, Julian & Lipietz, Barbara & Ujah, Oliver & Ibezim-Ohaeri, Victoria, 2020. "Urbanisation-induced displacements in peri-urban areas: Clashes between customary tenure and statutory practices in Ugbo-Okonkwo Community in Enugu, Nigeria," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. João Carrilho & Jorge Trindade, 2022. "Sustainability in Peri-Urban Informal Settlements: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-35, June.
    3. Geyer, H.S., 2023. "Conflicts and synergies between customary land use management and urban planning in informal settlements," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Ibrahim, Abdul-Salam & Abubakari, Mohammed & Akanbang, Bernard A.A. & Kepe, Thembela, 2022. "Resolving land conflicts through Alternative Dispute Resolution: Exploring the motivations and challenges in Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    5. Edeh, Hyacinth O. & Mavrotas, George & Balana, Bedru B., 2022. "Land tenure security and preferences to dispute resolution pathways among landholders in Nigeria," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

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