Capacity development in land administration : trends to date : West Africa
Asiama, S.O.
Traditionally, land administration in West Africa, was the preserve of the chiefs and their councils of elders. In virtually all the societies, the land was deemed to belong to the community and its administration was in the hands of the traditional ruler, or the chief. To this extent, the members of the community had an inherent right to occupy and use any part of the land which had not been previously appropriated by another member of the community. Though there was virtually no documentation of land transactions, the traditional societies developed their own mechanisms for recognising them and identifying boundaries which were immutable and were respected by all.
Event: EGM Transparency in Land Administration : A Capacity Building Agenda for Africa
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