THE CUSTOMARY LAND SYSTEM AND METHODS OF SECURING LAND IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF NIKKI AND TCHAOUROU, IN NORTHERN BENIN

This article analyzes the functioning of customary land tenure systems and land tenure security practices among rural actors in the communes of Nikki and Tchaourou in northern Benin. Data was collected from 120 individuals in these two communes and analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The study reveals a dynamic land recomposition in rural areas,where inheritance remains the predominant practice (74.3%). However, theres a notable increase in lending (14.1%), gifting (6.3%), and, to a lesser extent, renting or purchasing (3.5%), particularly among young people and non-natives. The observed customary land tenure security strategies, such as tree planting, symbolic construction, and oral pacts that serve as local mechanisms of legitimation, remain precarious in the face of the challenges of legal formalization. This has led to increasing tensions between socio-cultural groups, including those stemming from undocumented loans, land scarcity, and the sedentarization of agricultural practices. The legal and institutional framework for land management in Benin aims to address these issues and promote land tenure security and has been tentatively adopted to foster peace and social cohesion. Despite its potential, this framework is not without its challenges and continues to generate controversy.