Gender Land Right Issues under the Customary System of Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Purpose: This study examines women’s land rights under the customary system of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, intending to provide information that could inspire efforts to change women's lives and inform land policy.Design/Methodology: A qualitative research approach was used in this study. Four key informant interviews and 13 structured interviews with rural women farmers were conducted during fieldwork in Ajebandele village, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Purposive and stratified sampling were used, respectively. In both cases, the interviews were conducted in the local language (Yoruba). The respondents' opinions were recorded using an audio recorder, interpreted, transcribed, and analysed through content analysis.Findings: The study discovered, among other things, that the customary land tenure system in Ajebandele village, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, has been refined over the last four decades to benefit women. Men and women have equal access to land rights in terms of land availability and affordability. Despite the progress, the study concludes that gender equality has not been wholly realised because rural women farmers lack tenure security.Practical implications: The findings confirm custom and tradition as a principal barrier to women’s secure land rights. Governments and society can address women’s insecure land rights through advocacy and awareness campaigns to revolutionise the community’s mind-sets and practices.Originality/Value: This study appears to be the first that examines women's customary land rights in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, thus contributing to the knowledge base on this topic.