Property
State land and customary tenure under the Lands (Regions) Act, with leasehold the practical norm
Land is divided between State Lands in designated urban areas and customary land in the regions. The State Lands Act 1990 provides for leasehold grants in declared areas, while the Lands (Regions) Act governs customary tenure administered by District Authorities, and non-citizens generally require government consent to hold interests.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — High Court for State Lands title disputes; District Tribunals and District Authorities for customary land; Ministry of Lands administers.
Governing law
- State Lands Act, 1990 — Leasehold grants in declared State Lands areas.
- Lands (Regions) Act, Cap 57:03 — Customary tenure administered by District Authorities.
- Lands Acquisition and Compensation Act, 1991 — Compulsory acquisition and compensation.
In practice
In areas declared State Lands under the State Lands Act 1990 — principally Banjul, Kanifing and parts of the West Coast Region — the state holds the radical title and grants leases, typically for 99 years, registered under the Land Registry. Outside those areas the Lands (Regions) Act preserves customary tenure, with land held by families and communities and administered by Alkalolu (village heads) and District Authorities, and dealings requiring their involvement. The Physical Planning and Development Control Act regulates subdivision and use. Non-citizens can generally acquire only leasehold and require ministerial consent. Overlapping customary and statutory claims, informal allocations by village heads and multiple sales of the same plot are the recurring litigation pattern, and the absence of a comprehensive cadastre has been repeatedly identified in reform proposals. Compulsory acquisition under the Lands Acquisition and Compensation Act requires a public purpose and compensation.