For millions of people across Africa, especially in rural communities, land is far more than a resource. It is the foundation of livelihood, cultural identity, and economic survival. Yet access to it remains a flashpoint, shaped by historical inequalities, legal ambiguities, and rising commercial and climate-related pressures. In conversations about food security, climate resilience and economic development, one reality is too often overlooked: the people most dependent on land — particularly women and young people — are routinely excluded from decisions about how it is governed or used. They farm it, protect it and live on it, but when policy is made or deals are signed, their voices are rarely in the room. At the same time, as land becomes central to global climate and investment agendas, terms like ‘carbon offsetting’, ‘nature-based solutions’, and ‘green growth’ have come to dominate development strategies. To succeed, however, these approaches must also respect land as a shared resource that supports communities and ecosystems, ensuring that benefits reach people and nature alike. From Ethiopia to Ghana, and from Mozambique to Madagascar, local communities are seeing their land leased, sold, or restricted in the name of conservation or renewable energy. The projects are often framed as sustainable, yet the social cost is high. Families lose access to the soil they have cultivated for generations. Livelihoods are disrupted, and traditional knowledge is sidelined. The gender gap beneath the soil It is a troubling paradox that while women make up more than 60% of the agricultural labor force, their access to secure land tenure is considerably low. According to the African Development Bank, women own less than 15% of agricultural land across Sub-Saharan Africa. In countries like Nigeria, patriarchal inheritance customs and discriminatory land policies mean that women often access land only through their male relatives, and can be dispossessed with little recourse. The consequences are far-reaching. Without control over land, women struggle to access credit, invest in sustainable practices, or participate meaningfully in cooperative structures. In places where climate variability is intensifying, land tenure insecurity for women is not just a gender issue, it is a direct threat to household resilience and food sovereignty. Youth: Locked out of land and locked into precarity Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with over 70% of its people under the age of 30. And yet, young Africans are remarkably absent from land governance frameworks. Traditional land systems, combined with rising land commodification, have made it nearly impossible for the youth to access productive land — let alone secure titles or negotiate leases. Land is a platform for economic participation, cultural identity and political agency, which means this exclusion carries implications far beyond agriculture. When young people are denied access to land, rural economies stagnate, urban migration accelerates, and inter-generational tensions deepen. Without structural reform, Africa’s demographic dividend may well become a demographic dilemma. The question of power Too often, land reform is framed narrowly in terms of redistribution or titling. But land is not just a commodity; it is political. Control over land determines whose voices count, whose livelihoods are protected, and whose futures are included in national development plans. Reforms that ignore social power dynamics — especially those rooted in gender, age or class — are unlikely to produce just outcomes. Some countries have made notable strides. Rwanda’s land tenure reforms, launched in the early 2000s, are frequently cited as a model for promoting gender equity. By mandating joint land registration for married couples, the policy helped ensure that women had recognized ownership rights. According to Rwanda Land Authority, women own more land parcels than men, which is a rare reversal of traditional patterns on the continent. Still, even with progressive legal frameworks, implementation challenges remain. Deep-rooted cultural norms, limited legal awareness and under-resourced local institutions can undermine the intended impact of reforms. Without sustained investment in both enforcement and community engagement, legal rights may exist on paper but fall short in practice. The way forward: Participation, not tokenism If Africa is to confront the overlapping crises of inequality, food insecurity, and climate change, it must take seriously the participation of those historically marginalized in land processes. This means not only inviting women and youth to the table but rethinking how that table is structured — who sets the agenda, how knowledge is valued, and what justice looks like in practice. Community-driven land governance, participatory mapping, and the recognition of customary tenure systems (when inclusive and rights-based) are all critical tools. But they must be paired with political will and accountability at every level.
