Land Ownership Among the Igbos of South East Nigeria: A Case for Women Land Inheritance

Under the Igbo culture, women are regarded as inferior to men. This attitude is reflected in all facets of life, be it social, economic or political. The predominance of patriarchy in law, policy and practice in the political zone ensures that land has owners but they are not women. Women are even seen as properties inheritable by men. The issue of women inheriting and owning land has achieved global attention with both national and international women summits clamouring for same. This paper x-rays the position of women’s land inheritance and ownership rights in the south eastern states of Nigeria and relates them to what obtains in some selected societies in Nigeria and other countries. It then makes proposals on how to come out of the quagmire, and concludes that for law and policy to positively influence gender relations in the land tenure realm in these states, there is need to deconstruct, reconstruct, and reconceptualise customary law notions as they pertain to issues of land inheritance by women.