Land is one the most valued properties in the world. It is not for nothing that famous economic scholar, Adam Smith, classified it as one of the factors of production.

In many ancient African communities, land ownership is a major determinant of who is rich and who is poor, however, challenges remain in some traditional settings, as women are not permitted to own land and the impact is far-reaching on women.

‘I had the money and want to buy land but instead of buying directly, I gave it to my ex-husband to buy and he bought it in his name.

‘And now that he has remarried, he is living on the land with his new wife and their children, while my children and I are in a rented one-bedroom apartment,’ says Mrs Murna Ayuba, a mother of six.

According to Ayuba, the experience made her more vulnerable to exploitation as she has to depend on her meagre income from a beans cake business to fend for herself, her children, and her aged mother.

‘I have to work all the time, if I am not in the market buying items for m
y business, I am at home picking the beans or by the roadside frying beans cake in the rain, cold, or under the sun.

Ayuba, who said that her experience left a scar on her mentally, added that ‘I was naive and thought I will build a house with my ex-husband, not knowing that another woman and her children will benefit from it. I will never trust anybody again.’

Similarly, Mary Emmanuel, a 49 year-old teacher, said though she was the eldest among seven siblings, her father bequeathed the only family land to the youngest and only son among them.

‘It is culturally uncommon for women to inherit landed properties because they believe that women will end up married and, hence did not need property,’ she said.

Many women have been denied of their land ownership right, leading to different mental torture and psychological bruises as they seek ways to acquire property that cultural practices stripe them of.

These and many other similar cultural orientations contribute to land disparities between women and men in
many societies in Africa, affecting many women’s economic conditions and impacted negatively on their socio-psychological well-being.

Gender disparity refers to unequal and unfair differences in the status, rights, opportunities and treatment of individuals based on their gender.

According to the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the North East has more women (57 per cent) who own houses with a Title/Deed, while the North West comes after with 43.8 per cent.

The South-West with 31.4 per cent, while women in the South East own 2 per cent.

These disparities clearly favour men and are often institutionalised through the law, justice, socio-cultural norms, religion and other factors.

According to experts, these differences are reflected in virtually all aspects of life, including education, economic opportunities, political representation, health, social and cultural norms, and property ownership.

The issue of gender disparity in land ownership is significant in many parts of Nigeria, incl
uding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to Chapter Eight, Section 297 of the Nigerian Constitution, all the land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

They are under the authority of the FCT Minister, through the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA) and Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS).

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in a document recently released on the National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy and Action Plan, also known as WEE, says only 10 per cent of landowners in Nigeria are women.

The 129-page document released by the minister revealed that while women account for 70 to 80 per cent of agriculture labour and output in Nigeria, only 10 per cent own land.

The document read in part: ‘only one in five landowners in Nigeria is female. This accounts for only 10 per cent of all landowners in Nigeria.”

The document notes several political and sociocultural factors such as ineffective programmes, limited funds, technica
l capacity bottlenecks, purely welfare-based interventions, and normative barriers, limited women’s progress contribute to gender inequality.

Meanwhile, Mr Bunmi Aimola, a legal practitioner, says there is no law that prohibits anyone from owning land or properties based on gender.

Aimola said: ‘Section 43 of the Nigerian Constitution says every citizen (includes both women and men) of Nigeria shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property (land inclusive) anywhere in Nigeria.

‘Even if, for which I doubt the existence of any law that discriminate against women owning landed properties, our constitution will override such practices that exist in any part of the country including the FCT.

‘But that is not to say because of this low percentage of women owning property in Abuja is due to any discriminatory factor or law that forbids them from owning property.

‘And even if there are identifiable cultures or traditions in any part of FCT that prohibits a woman from owning landed property, if it is
challenged in court, be rest assured that such practices will definitely not see the light of the day by virtue of this provision in the Constitution.”

He added that land administration reforms by streamlining registration and processes to reduce gender-based discrimination would also ensure women own more properties, including land.

‘Women should be more forceful and pushing in terms of acquiring landed properties.

‘Government should look at and identify areas if there are any, where such barbaric cultural practices and traditions still exist that deny women full property rights.

‘Government should also produce a policy that if certain plots of land are to be sold to individuals, consideration should be given to women.

‘This should be in terms of the amount of money to be paid just as it is done during electioneering to encourage more women to acquire land and properties”, he said.

He said society owes women the responsibility of protecting them from land grabbers, harassment and intimidation.

‘The
weight of the law should be meted on such land grabbers, encourage them and give them confidence when they know that their rights can be protected.

‘Policies should be tailored toward strengthening law enforcement agencies to go very hard on land grabbers that tend to intimidate women from enjoying their land or acquiring their land,’ he said.

Mr Johnson Edeh, an estate developer, said men are more likely to own land and properties than women due to economic inequality, social and cultural norms, illiteracy, laws and policies, as well as inheritance.

Edeh said that to address the issue, legal reforms, awareness, providing economic opportunities and support for women, as well as strengthening security forces to protect women from land grabbers should be pursued.

Mrs Gloria Gabriel, an FCT resident and businesswoman, however, blamed patriarchy, discriminatory laws, cultural norms, economic inequality and lack of awareness for gender disparity in property ownership in the territory.

According to her, women
don’t think about long-term tangible investment, like acquiring land, property, like men.

‘So, there is need to enlighten women on property ownership in their name, instead of joint ownership.

‘Parents need to learn how to bequeath properties to their children because some people prefer to bequeath the male child a land as gift, while the female child gets electronics, furniture like fridge, among others.’

Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche, the Vice-President, Zone D, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), said there is need for specific legislation on discrimination against women regarding land inheritance.

She added that ‘there is also the need to increase advocacy and sensitisation through traditional institutions and religious groups on discrimination against women, including ownership of property.

Ogbeche said that changing the culture and tradition of people is usually a slow process, noting that changing the culture of land ownership is a task that should be promoted by all stakeholders.

Ms Adaora
Jack, the Executive Director, Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), recognised the pivotal role the media plays in bridging gender disparities in every sphere and promoting gender inclusivity.

She said the need to ensure gender accountability prompted the Gender for Agenda project with support from MacArthur Foundation and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism to undertake gender-gap bridging initiatives.

‘Nigeria, like many countries, has been grappling with gender disparities, limiting the full potential and contributions of its female population.

‘By empowering women, the country stands to benefit from a more diverse and inclusive workforce, increased economic growth, improved societal well-being and enhanced political representation,” she said.

Meanwhile, in spite of disparities between men and women in land ownership and other property acquisition that tend to hinder their progress, Nigerian women have continued to excel in various disciplines.

They have made great landma
rks in their chosen professions both locally and on the global stage.

Some of them are Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Amina Mohammed, Deputy-Secretary General, UN, and Folorunsho Alakija, the wealthiest black woman globally.

These women have proven that if given level playing ground, women can excel even beyond expectations. Removing cultural inhibitions to land ownership now is one of such steps.

This should be done in no other place than the FCT, given its position in Nigeria’s political and economic life. (NANFeatures)

(This investigation is for the GENDER, THE AGENDA project for Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the MacArthur Foundation).

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Source: South News Agency of Nigeria