CODIFYING YORUBA CUSTOMARY INHERITANCE: A LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR INSTITUTIONAL REFORM, LAND GOVERNANCE, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Through unwritten rules enforced by family elders and customary institutions, Yoruba customary inheritance has traditionally governed succession of family property. Despite the fact that this system has maintained family unity and communal identity for many generations, serious governance flaws have been revealed by fast urbanisation, shifting socioeconomic circumstances, constitutional changes, and growing land commercialisation. These include protracted inheritance conflicts, dishonest land deals, discrimination based on gender, inadequate responsibility in family management, unstable land tenure, and evidentiary difficulties brought on by a dependence on oral tradition. The Yoruba Customary Inheritance Bill 2026 is a proposed legislative framework that addresses the institutional shortcomings of Yoruba customary inheritance. The study synthesises information from current literature, court rulings, policy papers, and comparative experiences from specific African countries using a qualitative doctrinal and comparative research design. The study, which is based on institutional theory, makes the case that effective reform should enhance rather than replace customary institutions by establishing clear governance structures, statutory recognition of inheritance procedures, protection of women's and widows' rights, better family property documentation, and effective dispute resolution procedures. In order to increase legal certainty and support sustainable land administration, the Draft Bill also suggests digital recording of family inheritance records, preservation of oral histories, and increased accountability of family heads. According to the study's findings, codification offers a chance to maintain the cultural underpinnings of Yoruba customary inheritance while bringing them into compliance with modern governance norms, constitutional principles, and sustainable development goals. In order to create a unified framework for the administration of customary inheritance that is socially inclusive, legally certain, and culturally acceptable, it suggests that the six southwestern states take concerted legislative action.