Dr. Taiwo Owoeye is a Senior Lecturer and Acting Head of Department of Economics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. He holds an M.Sc Economics and Statistics degree from University of Benin and Ph.D Economics degree from University of Ado-Ekiti. His areas of research interest include, development economics, economic history, institutional economics and political economy. His papers have appeared in both local and international journals. He has also attended and presented papers at different local and international conferences, seminars and workshops. He is an alumnus of the American Political Science Association (APSA) African Workshop 2013. He was also a co-recipient of 2014 the American Political Science Association (APSA) African Methodological Workshop Alumni Networking Grant 2014. He is a member of Nigerian Economic Society (NES), American Political Science Association (APSA), and American Economic Association (AEA). He has also co-edited a book, Theories, Problems, and Policies of Economic Development: The Africa Perspective in 2016.
His recent publications include, “Trade, education externalities and economic growth: Evidence from Nigeria” in IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance (2017), and “Women, environmental degradation and food security: The case of Oloibiri community of Bayelsa State, Nigeria” in European Journal of Research in Social Sciences (2017).
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Land conflicts have come to dominate African countries because of poor private property rights and weak land market institutions. But, as the region makes the transition to a modern economy and becomes more urbanized, land conflicts have escalated. This study concentrates on sub-Saharan African biggest city, Lagos, and how it has confronted land conflicts in recent times. The study identifies two types of land conflicts, private land-grabbing by a group of people called omo-onile (sons of land owners), but which in real sense consist of assorted group of people, and also official land grabbers, where government and its agents dispossess people of their ancestral land without adequate compensations. These two dimensions of land conflicts have created enormous chaos and violence in Lagos over the years. However, in recent times government have put some measures in place, new properties protection laws, a task force for implementations , conflicts resolution mechanisms among the people, and between the people and the government. This study set-out to evaluate the impacts of the peace-building attempts and draws lessons for other cities in Nigeria and all over Africa. Keywords: Land conflicts, Lagos, land-grabbers, property rights, conflicts resolution
