Women’s Inheritance Rights under Customary Law in Ogun State: A Human Rights Perspective

Discriminatory inheritance practices rooted in customary law continue to deny many Nigerian women equitable access to family property upon the death of a spouse or parent. In Ogun State, South West Nigeria, the intersection of Yoruba customary law and statutory inheritance provisions creates a complex legal landscape that frequently disadvantages women. This research examines women's inheritance rights under customary law in Ogun State from a human rights perspective, assessing the compatibility of prevailing customary practices with constitutional equality guarantees and Nigeria's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining doctrinal legal analysis with qualitative interviews conducted with women who had experienced inheritance-related disputes in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode. Secondary sources include court records, customary law texts, and academic publications from 2019 to 2024. The findings reveal that despite formal legal protections, social enforcement of exclusionary inheritance customs remains prevalent, particularly in polygamous households. Widows are especially vulnerable to disinheritance practices, including property seizure by deceased husbands' relatives. Recommendations include enhanced legal awareness programmes targeting rural women, empowerment of state magistrate courts to adjudicate inheritance disputes more accessibly, and reform of customary law recognition criteria. This study contributes to feminist legal scholarship and human rights advocacy in South West Nigeria. Keywords: inheritance rights, customary law, women, Ogun State, human rights.