Intergenerational Compensation Of Indigenous Land-Owning Family As A Strategy To Curb Challenges Of Inadequate Compensation In Land Acquisition Process: Perspectives From Lagos, Nigeria

Land in the traditional African society is owned in collectivism and does belong to individuals but the entire family which comprises the living, the reverend souls of the ancestors and the generations yet unborn. Meanwhile when land are acquired compulsorily by government or through the market by private firms, only few family members enjoys the compensation proceed. The under-aged family members and the yet unborn generations are usually left out from the compensation proceed from the family heritage (land). This has resulted in protracted litigations to reclaim lost heritage by the then under-aged family members and the “yet unborn” generation. It has also resulted into violence land conflicts and the principal cause of the omo onile phenomenon. This paper examines the prospect of using intergenerational compensation as a strategy for compensation in land acquisition process. Utilising a qualitative approach, the paper examines the view of heads of fifteen (15) selected indigenous landholding families in Lagos and key informants in the Lands Bureau of Lagos State on the concept of intergenerational compensation. The findings of the study will provide information on the willingness of both the indigenous land holding families and government officials to accept the alternative compensation strategy. It will also provide information capable of resolving the problems in land acquisition from indigenous landowning families and offers an alternative policy direction for land acquisition in Nigeria.