Community land governance in Liberia: Implications for tenure security and land concessions

Throughout rural Africa, the intersection of customary traditions and statutory governance has often led to overlapping jurisdictions and conflicts over community land rights. In Liberia, this dynamic is particularly evident in the rise of commercial land concessions. This article examines the Liberian government’s approach to community land rights and its impacts on land tenure security, especially in the context of these concessions. This study employs a discourse analysis of Liberian land use policies alongside qualitative data from in-depth interviews with community members living near large-scale plantations. Despite historical erosion of community land rights, Liberian communities have adapted statutory frameworks to strengthen tenure security. Ambiguous policies facilitated land concessions, but communities leveraged legal mechanisms to reclaim land. The 2018 Land Rights Act formalized community ownership, yet challenges remain, particularly regarding implementation and retroactive recognition of lost lands. Post-war concession expansion fueled tenure insecurity, though growing legal awareness and advocacy have empowered communities in land negotiations. This paper contributes to existing research by examining the dynamics of Liberian community land policy in relation to commercial land concessions and assessing community land tenure security in the post-Land Rights Act era. • Community land policy is analyzed in the context of commercial land concessions. • Communities are leveraging laws to reclaim land and strengthen tenure security. • Advocacy efforts are driving greater awareness of community land rights. • Few communities have navigated the Land Rights Act formalization process. • Institutional barriers continue to hinder widespread community land formalization.