Land rights in Yorubaland are deeply spiritual, cultural, and historical. Who owns the land, and how do communities assert ancestral claims in modern times?
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In this compelling dialogue, we are joined by Prof Akinkunmi Alao, historian at the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
He delves into the concept of iberepepe (autochthony) and the enduring power of àṣẹ (authority) as they define land ownership in Yoruba identity.
“Land is not just soil. It is spirit, memory, and obligation,” Prof Alao explains, reminding us that territory in Yorubaland is both inherited and invoked.
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This interview challenges us to rethink colonial land systems and recognise how ancestral heritage continues to shape the legal and emotional landscapes of Yoruba communities.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
