The Ivorian State has recently introduced a land management system to put an end to multiple allocations on the same plot. This new system takes the form of a “Certificate of Customary Use Rights”, announced by the Minister of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning, Bruno Koné, on June 13, 2024.
The Tchaman customary chiefs of the 60 villages of the District of Abidjan have expressed their indignation at this new certificate. In a statement made on June 28, 2024 following a General Assembly, the chiefs denounced the establishment and implementation of this document. They believe that the “argument” of multiple allocations on the same plot used to replace certificates of village property discredits them and their administrators.
The traditional leaders also stressed that they consider this decision as unilateral and express reservations about its security nature. They therefore reject the document in its current state and request its suspension.
Adopted by the Council of Ministers on May 24, 2023, the certificate of customary use rights is signed by the village chief, the president of the Village Land Management Committee and the developer. This document is drawn up on a secure and tamper-proof form produced and provided by the land administration.
According to Bruno Koné, this new certificate includes a digital identifier corresponding to the lot allocated following the subdivision. He specified that from now on, it is the State which will issue the certificates called “certificates of customary use rights”. This approach aims to prevent there being more than one certificate on the same land, ensuring that these documents are tamper-proof and unique.
Under this new measure, village chiefs will continue to sign and sell the lots, but the certificates will now be officially issued by the state once the subdivision is approved. Koné criticized the fact that under the old system, it was the village chief who produced, signed and issued the property documents, making it difficult for the ministry to monitor them.
The minister recalled that many disputes result from multiple allocations on the same plot, a situation that he attributes to the weakness of the old village certificate. The certificate of customary use rights will replace the village certificate from July 1, 2024, marking a turning point in urban land management in Côte d’Ivoire.
