An Analytical Framework for Examining the Impact of Social Context on Urban Land Registration Outcomes

Abstract

Many governments across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are in the process of introducing or improving land registration and formal titling systems with an aim of achieving modern land information management in order to facilitate the development of the land market. However, empirical research in a number of developing economies continues to show mixed or inconclusive outcomes from the implementation and operations of formal land registration systems. This article argues that for land registration system to perform their land and information management aspects adequately, the social context within which they operate must be thoroughly considered. To this end, the article adopts and extends an analytical framework that incorporates elements of the concept of social capital in order to identify relevant linkages to the social context of a jurisdiction. A key finding is that to address land information deficiencies in SSA countries, there is a need first to identify and understand the complex interactions between formal and customary institutions with respect to the nature and the operations of historical and prevailing land tenure systems. The elements of the framework therefore form the pathway to empirically examine and identify factors within the social context of a jurisdiction that may affect the outcomes of the institutional arrangement for land registration regarding its real estate information aspect.