A comprehensive approach to urban plot pricing in Tohoun (Togo): a small West African town

Abstract

The dynamism of the urban economy in Africa has led people to market all their goods and possessions, including land. However, unlike other goods, where prices are set according to the law of supply and demand, land price is determined by many factors. The small town of Tohoun is no exception to the diversity of land pricing conditions. Through documentation, observation, the administration of a questionnaire to 48 sellers and households, and semi-structured interviews with 23 sellers, buyers, and resource persons, this study has shown that plot prices generally vary for several reasons, most of which are interwoven with social relations within the community. However, the absence of a regulatory framework raises questions about the risks of such a market, and about possible ways for the state to set an average land price in small and medium-sized towns.

Keywords

• Small town, land market, price fixing, urban plot, social report, Tohoun