Here was a distinct limitation on royal absolutism.
In a similar way, there were limitations on the centralization of economic power.

While valuable land in Europe had been captured and controlled by private ownership and was the possession of a powerful minority, land in West Africa still belonged to the community.

A powerful family had the right to control and supervise the use of the land for the welfare of the community, and, undoubtedly, this power could be misused.
Such a family assigned land to its users along with certain tenure safeguards which operated to limit even the power of the family.

Those using the land who did not fulfill their obligations to the community by utilizing it properly and wisely, could have the land taken away from them.

It might then be given to someone else.