News in 2021
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The Board of Directors of FIG Foundation found the application from Kehinde Babalola, Nigeria, eligible for the FIG Foundation Ph.D. Scholarship 2020 for his Ph.D. research on: The Interactions of Customary and Statutory Institutions and Laws: The Land Administration System Process: A Case Study of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Kehinde is studying at Division of Geomatics, Department of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
 This picture is taken In Ekiti State Nigeria while carrying out a topographical survey. Ekiti State happens to be the case study area for my current study. |
This picture is taken on the mountain at a point called Devil’s peak. There you have a Trig station where observations are made to from University of Cape Town during practical works. |
The topic of my PhD is land administration system (LAS) reform, specifically to contribute to the debate in legal pluralism using empirical evidence from a geomatics perspective. Hence peoples-based approach will be adopted to interview respondents from customary and statutory institutions in the land administration process. The interviews are conducted to determine whether legal pluralism or legal dualism exists in the legal framework of LAS in post-colonial African countries. In this study three peri-urban case study areas were selected to contribute to the evidence of this research. The study will further understand LASs and land law within the general legal framework. Identify existing and potential uncertainties in LAS. Propose theory based on lesson learnt for understanding uncertainty in LAS. The study will finally propose possible improvement based on the findings.
The study uses the 8Rs of responsible land management and fit-for-purpose approach to analyse the existing legal framework for LAS. The study will make use of documents from customary courts from the three peri-urban areas. The analyses will be model using a system theory of Soft System methodology for the social and political situation of LAS in Ekiti state. The research further uses institutional isomorphism theory to determine the legitimacy of the legal framework for LA. The research is multi-disciplinary as it draws theories from engineering science, social sciences and law.
A possible solution will then be proposed. Solutions will be proposed drawing on multiple sources of data collected in several case studies. Cases are chosen from Nigeria, where the problem is predominant. To ensure reliability, the methodology employed multiple sources of evidence. In-depth interviews (structured and semi-structured, archival records, documents and participant observation are the proposed techniques for primary and secondary data collection. In-depth interviews are conducted to allow for an in-depth understanding of the case. Empirical data will be collected using ‘people-based approach’ which involves direct interaction with the people and the process. Land administration ministries and departments, customary institutions and land right holders are selected for where interviews will be conducted. This is because ministries and departments are responsible for formal land administration while the traditional leaders are the custodian of land in the customary areas and hence are responsible for customary land administration. The collected data will be analysed using qualitative analysis tools (NVivo 12). The recorded interview will be transcribed. To ensure triangulation, the interview data will be verified against documentary evidence. Internal validity will be ensured by sharing interviews transcript with the interviewee to ascertain correctness. Members of my research group will also scrutinize the methods and results.
Louise Friis-Hansen
28 January 2021
