Land Governance and Informal Landuse Outcomes in African Secondary Cities: Narratives from the Peri-Urban Areas of Osogbo, Nigeria

Abstract

The peri-urban areas of Africa’s secondary cities are witnessing rapid spatial transformations with the challenges of land governance that have led to informal land use outcomes. Taking a cue from Osogbo, Nigeria, this study is engaged with the critical perspective that highlights the role of land governance in the production of urban informality in African secondary cities. Based on in-depth interviews, questionnaire administration, and archival analysis, the relationship between informal land development, the state, and land governance will be explained. Particularly, the study will question the role of the state, institutions, local actors, and individuals in the co-production of informality in peri-urban areas. It will also answer the questions of why, how, and where policies, culture, and social dimensions of land governance triangulate to produce informal land use outcomes in the peri-urban areas. The responsibility and roles of local governments in the management, monitoring, and regulation of land and land uses will also be examined. In the end, the study will provide insights into the process that informs informal landuse outcomes in the peri-urban areas of African secondary cities. It will also aid policy directions toward enhancing land governance in the peri-urban areas for the effective management of urban informality.