Access to Land Ownership by Youths in Cameroon 1974 To 2026: “Implications to Livelihood”

Abstract

Land is a vital resource that human beings need for sustenance. Issues of secured access to land control and management has been a perennial problem to youths that depends on land for survival. Ethnic heterogeneity, complex historical events and cultural diversity have made land tenure to vary both in their ancient and contemporary manifestations. The right to land and the extent to which youths can have secured access to land can only go as far as the law permits. This paper seeks to examine the land reforms in Cameroon and its implications to secured access to land by youths, taking in to cognizance the recent government policy to encourage second generation agriculture with focused to reduce youth unemployment. A qualitative and quantitative research protocol was explored where data was collected using primary and secondary sources to better understand the dynamics of access to land by youths and the implications to their livelihood. The findings reveals that Secured access to land by youths in Cameroon is a problem as the 1974 land ordinance does not give room for the youth to have access to land Certificate. The ordinance reveals that those born after 1974 cannot have access to land certificate in which the land certificate is the only official document that secure land ownership. Youths therefore occupy land under national domain in which the state is the guardian of land in this domain. Land under this domain is open for concessions and expropriation by investors. The government policies of encouraging second generation agriculture and youths to embark on agriculture as a source of livelihood have raise concerns on secured access to land by the youths in Cameroon. The paper recommends the need for an inclusive land law reform that takes into cognizance the rights of youths on secured access to land in Cameroon.