Finally African Nova Scotians to get legal title to their land after hundreds of waiting years.

On Wednesday, the Nova Scotia government announced that it will provide funding to help people in five historically black communities gain legal ownership over land they've claimed as theirs for generations.The decision comes after UN  working group urged both Nova Scotia and the federal government to do more to help African-Nova Scotians obtain legal title to land passed down through families for generations.

The problem can be traced back two centuries, when the government gave plots of land to Black Loyalists for their support during the American Revolutionary War and to Black Refugees, former slaves who sought refuge after the War of 1812.

The government, however, did not give deeds, which meant those who settled never officially owned the land they lived on.The consequences today are that, without clear title, residents cannot sell their property or legally pass it down to other relatives.

The province said it will spend $2.7 million over two years to help residents obtain legal title to land in the communities of North Preston, East Preston and Cherry Brook in the Halifax Regional Municipality, and in Lincolnville and Sunnyville in Guysborough County.