Nigeria’s Gender Divide in Property Rights

+Importance of Land Acquisition for Women

World Bank data has revealed that more Nigerian men have access to landed properties compared to women. According to the research, this gender disparity has made it difficult for women and girls to own and inherit land, which drives economic prosperity. 

In Nigeria, only 8.2% of women aged 20-49 solely own land, compared with 34.2% of men according to World Bank research into gender disparities in property ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The ability to own and inherit land is an important driver of economic prosperity. Such a big gap between men and women in Nigeria regarding land ownership suggests systemic economic disparities that will affect efforts at improving gender equality.

For instance, in different parts of Nigeria, especially the South-East, women have limited access to owning land. Land acquisition is more common among men.

Many still believe that women should not inherit ancestral family land as they are expected to leave the community when they get married, while men carry on the family heritage.

There is also the fear that husbands will gain access to a family’s land through marriage if women are allowed to own land.

Meanwhile, data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS,2018) shows that most women living in the Northern parts of Nigeria own landed properties. 

Women living in Adamawa, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto have the highest rate of land acquisition in Nigeria. Also, women residing in some southern parts of Nigeria are above average. 

On average, states in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria have the lowest proportion of women who own landed properties.

This state of affairs goes against Sections 43 and 44 of the Nigerian constitution which make provision for every Nigerian man and woman to acquire and own immovable properties in any part of the country.

While other developing countries continue to improve economic opportunities for women, inheritance laws remain strongly biased against women and girls in many societies, including Nigeria. 

For instance, parental bequests of material wealth and human capital investments represent central forms of intergenerational transfers that affect long-term development in far-reaching ways.

At low levels of development, land is a key asset and an essential source of livelihood. Unsurprisingly, societies have long developed rules to govern how land is transferred across generations. Women in many developing countries face legal barriers preventing them from inheriting property.