The Land Rights Struggle and The Limit on Women’s Economic Prosperity in Northern Nigeria
A quiet revolution is unfolding in Northern Nigeria, particularly in Gombe State. Women, traditionally excluded from land ownership, are proving their entrepreneurial prowess in agriculture. However, their potential remains shackled by archaic and discriminatory land tenure practices that deny them the fundamental right to own the land they cultivate. This restriction is more than a mere legal technicality—it is an economic and social injustice that curtails the prosperity of these women and their communities.
One of the most striking examples of this issue is the case of women engaged in the nursing of oil palm seedlings. These women, through sheer dedication, expertise and agricultural interventions from non-governmental organisations such as the Small Scale Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), have mastered the delicate process of nurturing young oil palms. They sell these seedlings at a fraction of their potential value, knowing full well that if they were allowed to own land, they could cultivate full-grown oil palms and reap significantly higher profits. Instead, they are forced into an economic model that perpetuates their dependency and diminishes their earning power. Hence, while they may be in a better economic situation from their initial zero stance, the upward economic growth is only slight.
The restrictions on land ownership for women in Gombe State are not isolated occurrences but are indicative of a broader systemic failure that hinders economic development. Studies show that when women have secure land rights, agricultural productivity increases by up to 10%, and food security improves substantially. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), women comprise nearly half of the agricultural labor force in sub-Saharan Africa, yet they own less than 20% of agricultural land. In Nigeria, the situation is even worse in the North, where cultural and legal barriers intersect to limit women’s access to land.
The irony in this injustice is that the very same women, who are denied land rights, are entrusted with responsibilities that demand land access. According to an article on un.org, women account for 70% of Africa’s food production, but often do not have secure access to land.
In the case of oil palm seedlings, these women are forced to operate at the lowest rung of the value chain. The difference between selling seedlings and harvesting mature palm trees is not merely a question of patience; it is a question of economic survival. A single mature oil palm tree can yield 40 kilograms of palm oil per year, translating to tens of thousands of naira in revenue. When compared to the meager earnings from selling seedlings, the disparity is staggering.
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs reported in 2023 that only one in five landowners in Nigeria is female. It also noted that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could increase by $229 billion over a decade if women participated in the workforce at the same level as men.
Nigeria’s Constitution ostensibly guarantees equal rights for all citizens, yet in practice, land tenure laws vary across regions and are heavily influenced by customary traditions. In many parts of Northern Nigeria, traditional leadership structures uphold the belief that land is passed down through the male lineage, effectively excluding women from land ownership.
While the Land Use Act of 1978 vests all land in the state under the control of governors, it has done little to dismantle patriarchal traditions that prevent women from acquiring and inheriting land. As a result, even when land is available, women find themselves in a bureaucratic maze where their applications for ownership or leasing are ignored or outrightly denied. Without title deeds, they have no collateral for loans, no bargaining power in agricultural markets, and no autonomy to plan long-term economic growth.
Pathways to Reform
The barriers to land ownership for women in Northern Nigeria are formidable, but they are not insurmountable.
Several steps can be taken to ensure that women like those in Gombe State have the opportunity to break free from economic marginalization and fully participate in agriculture.
- Legal Reforms and Enforcement: The Nigerian government must take decisive steps to enforce constitutional protections for women’s land rights. This includes amending the Land Use Act to explicitly recognize and protect women’s ownership and inheritance rights. Additionally, state governments should work with traditional leaders to harmonize customary laws with modern legal frameworks, ensuring that women are no longer excluded from land ownership.
- Community-Based Land Redistribution Programs Initiatives that provide women with access to communal land can serve as interim measures to bypass restrictive inheritance practices. Such programs have been successfully implemented in countries like Rwanda, where community land ownership schemes have significantly increased women’s agricultural output and economic standing.
- Financial Inclusion and Microcredit Access: One of the most pressing challenges faced by women in agriculture is the inability to secure loans due to a lack of land as collateral. Financial institutions should develop alternative lending models, such as group lending schemes or asset-based financing, to ensure that women have access to capital for agricultural expansion.
- Education and Advocacy: There is an urgent need to educate both women and men on the economic benefits of inclusive land ownership. Advocacy campaigns led by local and international organizations can help shift public perception and pressure policymakers to enact meaningful reforms. Furthermore, equipping women with knowledge of their legal rights can empower them to challenge discriminatory practices.
- Public-Private Partnerships for Agricultural Development: The private sector has a role to play in dismantling land ownership barriers. Agribusinesses and investment firms can work with women-led cooperatives to lease land and support long-term agricultural projects. By providing infrastructure, training, and market access, these partnerships can help women move beyond seedling sales and into full-scale oil palm production.
The denial of land ownership to women in Gombe State and Northern Nigeria in general, is a stark reminder of the broader inequalities that persist across Nigeria. It is an affront to the principles of liberty and free enterprise that should underpin a just society. Women in agriculture should not be confined to the lowest segments of the value chain due to outdated customs and legal loopholes. Instead, they should be given the same opportunities as their male counterparts to cultivate, invest, and prosper.
Empowering women with land rights is not merely a matter of fairness—it is a necessity for economic growth and poverty alleviation. By ensuring that women can own and control land, Nigeria can unlock a new wave of agricultural innovation and productivity that benefits everyone. It is time for policymakers, traditional leaders, and society at large to recognize that true prosperity cannot be achieved while half of the population remains dispossessed. The women of Gombe State—and all of Nigeria—deserve the freedom to own, to farm, and to thrive.
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Bio: Roli O’tsemaye is a writer, cultural producer, and libertarian passionate about Individualism, Individual Rights and Free Market Economy. In addition to her work as a cultural producer, she has worked as an editor and facilitator at Chale Institute in Nigeria, a think tank organization dedicated to propagating libertarian ideas through research, education, and advocacy. A seasoned writer with over 10 years of professional experience, Roli has published several opinion pieces on Individual Rights and has developed courses on writing about libertarian ideas. She aspires to spread libertarian ideas through written and visual storytelling. Get in touch with her here: Instagram: @simplyroli; X: @simplyroli
