Public Utility and Land Ownership in Cameroon

Although defined by the Civil Code as an absolute concept, land ownership as it currently stands no longer reflects this reality. Indeed, today it is subject to an increasing number of restrictions. The primary limitation-expropriation for public use-is the most commonly employed, as the State, in its role as planner and developer, has made it a tool of choice in achieving its objectives. It is the cornerstone of nationalization, a phenomenon that allows the State to take ownership of private land and thereby gain control over it, in order to ensure its efficient management. However, the increasing use of the concept of public utility for the purpose of nationalization is increasingly undermining land ownership in Cameroon. Hence the need to establish a stricter legal framework governing its operation, which undoubtedly requires a better understanding of the concept of expropriation for public utility.