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Registration/De Courte Duree: Politique et Gouvernance Foncière à l’Appui de la Transformation Agricole en Afrique
En 2009, les chefs d’État et de gouvernement africains se sont engagés, dans une déclaration sur la terre, à lancer des processus nationaux d’élaboration et de mise en oeuvre de politiques foncières et à garantir un accès équitable à la terre à tous les utilisateurs, y compris les jeunes et les autres groupes sans terre. Ils ont également décidé d’accorder une attention particulière au renforcement de la sécurité d’occupation des terres pour les femmes africaines. Dans cette perspective, tous les États membres de l’UA ont été invités à “revoir leur secteur foncier en vue d’élaborer des politiques globales qui tiennent compte de leurs besoins particuliers” (Déclaration de l’UA sur la terre).
L’amélioration de l’élaboration, de la mise en oeuvre et du suivi des politiques foncières restera une aspiration, à moins que les capacités humaines pertinentes ne soient développées à diérents niveaux. C’est dans ce contexte que la présente formation en ligne est co-organisée par la Commission économique pour l’Afrique (CEA) par l’intermédiaire du Centre africain de politique foncière (ALPC), de l’Institut Africain de Développement Économique et de Planication (IDEP), du Réseau d’Excellence sur la Gouvernance Foncière (NELGA) et de la Commission de l’Union africaine (CUA).
In 2009, African heads of State and Government had through a Declaration on land, committed to initiate national land policy development and implementation processes and ensure equitable access to land for all land users including the youth and other landless groups. They also resolved to give special attention to strengthening security of tenure for African women. In this perspective, all AU member states were urged to “review their land sectors with a view to developing comprehensive policies which take into account their peculiar needs†(AU Declaration on land).
The improvement of land policy development, implementation and monitoring will remain an aspiration, unless relevant human capacities are developed at different levels. It is against such a backdrop that the present online training is co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) through African Land Policy Center (ALPC), the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), the Network of Excellence on Land Governance (NELGA) and the African Union Commission (AUC).
PLAAS and NELGA Digital Seminar Series Shares Lessons and Limitations around Women Land Rights in Africa
On Thursday, August 28, 2020, the Institute of Policy, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) held its NELGA-monthly web seminar on the topic: Legal pluralism and poor implementation hold back women’s land rights in Africa: What can we do?
The online seminar, which had over 80 participants from across Africa and globally, highlighted the essential linkages between women’s rights, formal and customary laws, and land tenures in Africa.
Women have restricted access and rights to land in Africa as laws and legislation at national and local levels are not inclusive. A vital takeaway from the seminar was the importance of building on existing international initiatives like the Kilimanjaro Initiative, national and state-level regulations, laws, and social-economic development interventions for women’s land rights in Africa.
Indigenous mechanisms for accountability are not gender-neutral. Formal laws are hardly implemented in rural locations where customary laws prevail over land tenure and rights. Women end up marginalized and, at times, given single plots that are not favorable or suitable for profitable purposes. Women are also facing double slaughter in their land rights due to increasing pressures from large-scale land-based investment in extractive sectors and agriculture.
There is a need to pay more attention to women’s land rights and their weakness. Unfortunately, the flaw stems from women’s insufficient participation in customary land management. Women need to be empowered with education, information, and fiscal support to be able to meaningfully participate in decision making spaces and support the struggle for women’s rights.
Collective formalization can protect women’s land rights as it promotes inclusive ownership and diversity in land tenure within communities. Land reforms need not come only from statutory laws but also from modifications needed in family and marriage laws as such laws are the primary determinant of land ownership in many communities in Africa.
Panelists included Emmanuel Sulle (Research Associate, PLAAS), Benard Moseti (Oxfam, Pan Africa Programme) and Joséphine Atangana (Programme Officer Plateforme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) as they jointly presented the outcomes of the three-year project—Women’s Land Rights for Inclusive Development and Growth in Africa. The project was implemented in seven African countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Togo.
You can watch a video of the discussion here. You can also download a snapshot of the online conversation on Twitter here.
Interested in the Women Score Sheet and Training of Trainers Manual for Women Land Rights as presented during the online seminar, click here.
Policy Brief – Strengthening Land Security for Internally Displaced Persons in Cameroon
It is obvious that land issue is one of the most important development topics in Central Africa. Currently, in the face of the development dynamics of countries and various other contemporary challenges, the pressure on land resources is increasing.
In December 2019, NELGA Central Africa and REPAR Cameroon organized a workshop to mobilize and sensitize Parliamentarians on the peculiar challenges faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on land security. The meeting came out with a working document aimed at supporting a robust Parliament Government Dialogue on IDPs and land security with the expectation of securing better security of land rights.
A key outcome from the workshop was a consensus on the recommendations presented at the meeting and the creation of a policy brief on strengthening land security for IDPs. This policy document is the result of cooperation between NELGA Central Africa, the Central African Universities Network of Excellence on Land Governance and REPAR.
This Policy Brief is structured in four sections: the first aim is to show why it is important to secure the land rights of IDPs; the second analyses the issues and challenges of securing land rights for IDPs; the third summarizes recommendations on which to base the discussion prior to a possible revision of the texts. The last section offers suggestions for Parliamentarians and any other actor wishing to know more about the issue.
Click here to read and download the full brief in French and English. To view other policy briefs on land governance, click here.
Exclusion in planning perpetrates poverty in informal settlements
We should recognise that people in informal settlements have the same right to share the city with the same dignity and equality as other residents. Without the active participation of informal settlement residents in upgrading projects, any upgrading plans proposed are destined to flop. Post the pandemic, we (Namibian planning practitioners, donors and private sector) should look towards the inclusion of people in informal settlements communities in planning and upgrading of the informal settlements.
Some people are of the opinion that speaking about problems or challenges will not bring about change. There is some truth to that line of thought. However, understanding the problem and origins can be of great assistance in identifying solutions that are desired by those affected. While some parts of the world are discussing smart cities, Namibian towns are challenged with providing secure land rights to most of the urban poor. Fortunately, the urban land reform debate finally came to the forefront on the national development agenda, after the focus has been on rural areas for the past 20 years. The focus on urban land reform could influence the emergence of innovative solutions; however, there is a risk of excluding communities affected from actively participating.
The problems faced by the poor and low income who make up 40% of the urban population living in informal settlements are relevant for discussion, mainly as the poor are also important residents of the city as they contribute to vital services of the urban economy. In Namibia, like many developing countries, the poor are found at the periphery of cities, living in uncomfortable conditions with no tenure security and high anxiety caused by possibilities of eviction. Despite their challenging living environment, there is persistent exclusion of the poor in planning for upgrading. When local authorities plan, the informal settlement residents are seldom part of the discussion.
The Urban and Regional Planning Act, 5 of 2018, passed by parliament, is yet to be implemented. The Act has some promising sections for informal settlement upgrading and key among these is the provision for participation and access to land. The Act clearly states that “spatial planning must be aimed at redressing past imbalances in respect of access to land ownership and land allocation. Plus it promotes access to relevant information for the public. However, public participation methods are left to the onus of the relevant minister. This would undoubtedly create bureaucratic challenges that may perpetuate exclusion of informal settlement residents from participating in the upgrading of their communities.
It is vital for leaders in policy implementation to understand that the exclusion of residents in decisionmaking increases insecurity and prevents residents from seeking justice and legal remedy when those in positions of influence violate their rights. Rapid expansion of informal settlements and lack of service delivery in these areas is indicative of poor or no participation of residents affected in the development processes affecting their communities.
There are solutions galore from various case studies on how we can improve informal settlements at scale and at a faster pace, yet implementation becomes a challenge. The introduction and revision of planning laws to reflect the needs of the people is a step to improving land delivery and citizen participation in planning. What remains, as a bottleneck for active participation of residents in informal settlements, is a lack of political will and buy-in from planning specialists.
Lack of participatory planning delays the successful implementation of informal settlement upgrading projects. This creates a blockage to solutions that are sustainable and may lead to high social cost during implementation. The norm in planning is consultants are at the foreground during design, while residents are only consulted during the phase of construction or removal of shacks for roads and services. This may be due to how informal settlement residents are perceived; some planning practitioners see informal settlement residents as land invaders and not as people with the same rights to the city as those in formal areas. The exclusion of residents in the planning for their own settlements perpetuates discrimination and enforces powerlessness faced by the poor.
Participatory planning is not a stress-free process that takes a few months – it is a process that requires incessant community engagement, trust, and relationship building. In this process, it is vital that the possibility of development fatigue and expectation management is tackled by planning teams with residents. Moreover, it is important that those in planning and community members can find a compromise to form partnerships that be a catalyst for sustainable solutions at a low cost.During normal operations, the right to assemble and demonstrate has given residents an opportunity to have their voices heard. However, this should not be the norm. For a population of 2.5 million, understanding the issues of residents at town level should not be a challenge. One major impediment to implementing scalable solutions for informal settlements is the limited availability of dedicated professionals in local authorities dealing with informal settlements. Rather, as important as the role of community development officers are, they are “jack-of-all-trades’’, which can lead to overload. It is important for implementation of upgrading for local authorities to establish dedicated departments on informal settlements upgrading.
Every local authority embarking on the upgrading of informal settlements ought to consider the inhabitants as primary partners, who can share their local knowledge that could affect the speed and cost of projects. For successful project implementation, the residents of informal settlements need to have access to relevant information on how the public process for budgeting, planning and decisions concerning housing provision are made within the government. The time for using facilitators that understand the importance of participation and have patience for communities is now more vital than before. Participatory upgrading is not an easy process at the start; it requires patience, good communication skills and knowledge of the local context.
To empower communities, it is vital that information sharing, and participation is encouraged. This should not only happen during elections, but throughout the whole process of urban policy development. People in informal settlements may be poor due to their economic status; however, many do have a wealth of ideas on how they can improve their communities. Every town planning office should find means to harness this wealth, and participatory planning is the starting point.
Ms. Menare Royal Mabakeng is a junior lecturer in the Land and Property Sciences Department at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), with a main research interest in fit for purpose land administration. She writes in her personal capacity.
NELGA Central Africa Node Holds Training on Communication for Land Governance
Youth Engagement for Global Action on Land Rights
Did you know that empowering young people through knowledge and information on land rights can reduce poverty rates and support the development of the African continent?
As the world celebrates the 2020 International Youth Day Edition, we must harness the untapped potentials in our youth as the continent has the largest concentration of young people in the world. It is essential to engage the African youth in knowledge building and encouraging creativity to rapidly transform the continent’s land situations as key for a
The global theme for #IYD2020 calls for Youth Engagement for Global Action; this is the time for African youth to improve their knowledge, advertise for youth-focused research and develop lasting solutions to land governance challenges on the continent. With good land governance and secure land rights, young people can help to stabilize their societies and create more opportuniti
Continuity, despite COVID-19: NELGA is strengthening its network and boosting its outreach
Following the announcement of the initial confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Africa in March 2020, many countries integrated health and safety regulations aimed at preventing the further spread of the pandemic. With social distancing measures in place, NELGA institutions across Africa were faced with unprecedented challenges in the academic world: staff members and students suddenly had to do research and study from home.
NELGA institutions decided to turn this challenge into an opportunity and the networks excellence centres from Morocco to Namibia chose proactive approaches to deal with the global crisis. The NELGA partners examined on national, regional and continental levels how this global pandemic was going to affect the implementation the network’s activities. In virtual meetings across the continent, they assessed their existing workplans, and with creativity and innovative minds, identified activities which could be implemented without physical contact.
“In this period of COVID-19 we all live in “lockdown” mode, whether voluntarily or not. But it is clear that our ideas cannot and must not be locked up under any circumstances. With this in mind, like everyone else, we do our best to maintain the same dynamism at work, even if it is from home.” (Oumy Faye- NELGA Francophone Africa)
Based on these brainstorming sessions between and within NELGA regions, many NELGA activities are currently being implemented mainly through virtual means. The research institutions adjusted and instead of meeting in person, used e-mails, online communication platforms, and phone calls for knowledge exchange and joint implementation. Emphasis was also laid on issues that weren’t prioritized in the past, such as better communication, monitoring and evaluation.
“In addition to maintaining permanent coordination activities, our strategy is to focus on activities that do not necessarily require a physical presence, such as strengthening communication, scientific activities via E-learning, and partnership consolidation.” (Oumy Faye- NELGA Francophone Africa).
Consolidating and expanding the Network
When it comes to networking and partners, the NELGA regional networks are being expanded and consolidated during the NELGA crisis. The NELGA regions updated their partner lists, entered into Memoranda of Understanding with new partners, and engaged with broader networks of academic and research institutions.
Outside of the NELGA academic institutions, NELGA also identified potential for wider collaboration and multi-stakeholder dialogue by establishing relations and identifying opportunities for collaboration with non-academic stakeholders, and particularly with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and the private sector.
To further strengthen the NELGA scholar and alumni network, a virtual scholarship holder meeting, which will put emphasis on science communication as well as the link between pandemics, open data and land governance, is currently being organized for August 2020.
“Virtual communication and collaboration is no longer just an option but a necessity. This covid-19 crises has presented an opportunity to accelerate the acquisition of necessary virtual skills, competence and equipment.” (NELGA Southern Africa- Theodor Muduva)
Many NELGA members also used the unexpected lockdown to critically examine the strategic development of the network and look into new strategic directives. In Northern and Southern Africa for example, Sustainability Strategies as well as Strategies on Gender and Outreach are being elaborated in consultation with partners. In Southern Africa, the “Research and Capacity Development Strategy for Land Governance” has been drafted and is currently discussed with the partners in the region.
Boosting outreach and communication
NELGA has also embarked on stronger communication within and beyond the network’s regions. A new layout and functions of the NELGA website were introduced and a full revamp of the NELGA digital environment, including the introduction of a NELGA research library and a virtual platform for land-related data and information are under preparation.
NELGA partners in Central, Francophone and Southern Africa updated and redesigned their regional websites. Newsletters were published in Central, Francophone and Western Africa. In addition, different NELGA members have edited and formatted knowledge products, such as policy briefs, research studies, newsletters, good practices and NELGA strategies.
In Northern Africa, two issues of the African Journal of Geospatial Sciences and Land Policy were published, and the Francophone African University Gaston-Berger in Senegal published two issues of the “Cahier du Foncier”, focusing on the methodology of land tenure research, as well as good land tenure practices in Francophone West Africa.
NUST university in Namibia, the Southern African node of the NELGA network, continued to publish opinion pieces on Land Governance authored and submitted by partners. The opinion pieces are published in key newspapers in Namibia, which during global crisis become even more relevant means of information than usual.
Several NELGA members also used their (partial) lockdowns to elaborate and share various good practices. NELGA Central and Southern Africa, for example, collaborated on a good practice piece on NELGA advisory missions to effectively mainstream land governance issues into National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) of the African Union
Developing online learning opportunities
For many NELGA nodes, who had already started to think about online learning in the past years, the emergence of COVID-19 increased the urgency for sound online learning measures in the field of land governance. Many NELGA institutions therefore fast-tracked their online learning ideas and plans.
University of Yaoundé I, the NELGA excellence center for Central Africa, finalized a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) project on land conflicts. NUST university is elaborating a course on land governance and corruption to equip land professionals in various stages of their career with the tools, tactics and networks to help tackle issues of land corruption.
In NELGA Francophone Africa, webinar series in the form of virtual doctoral seminars dedicated to PhD students were held in June 2020, and a directory of young researchers and land professionals with a special focus on PhD students was initiated. Similarly, IAV university in Morocco, the NELGA Northern African node, adapted to the new learning environment and conducted distance education to Master students, and monitored students who are virtually carrying out their internships in different land governance institutions and companies. Northern Africa also tested an e-learning platform which helps ensure and evaluate courses online with African NELGA partners.
Doing research
NELGA also boosted research activities all over the continent. In NELGA Southern Africa and Northern Africa, Scoping Studies on the needs and demands of scientific research in land governance are in the process of finalization and will be presented virtually. Under the NELGA scholarship programme, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) issued a fellowship call for research on the trajectories between COVID-19 and good land governance.
What we learned
Virtual communication and collaboration is no longer just an option but a necessity. The COVID-19 crisis has presented an opportunity to accelerate the acquisition of necessary virtual skills and competences. In an effort to enhance collaboration during this time of the global pandemic, NELGA universities have embarked on an assessment of the virtual capabilities and competence of their structures and partners and initiated capacity building initiatives, with regards to online learning as well as virtual tools and social media platforms. This will contribute to even more effective cooperation, collaboration and consequently effective implementation in the NELGA network. Ultimately, NELGA is now an even stronger network than before, and better equipped with the virtual tools that are crucial for the future of research and learning.
“To put it plainly, COVID 19 will not only have negative effects on NELGA in Central Africa but will help also our network to better utilize new communication tools and to innovate in reorienting and adapting its activities.” (NELGA Central Africa- Rosette Mbenda)
Webinar on the Analysis of Land Governance in Côte d’Ivoire between 2016 and 2020.
English: The research team led by Professor Moha El-ayachi and Mr Kamal Benaddou of ETAFAT is undertaking in collaboration with Professor Ibrahima Diallo, Coordinator NELGA Francophone West Africa, a study on the framework for the analysis of land governance by the LGAF tool in Côte d’Ivoire on 26th June 2020 at 10:30 am. The Webinar will be an opportunity to share and clarify the frame for analyzing land governance using the LGAF tool.
French: Dans le cadre des activités de recherche conduite à l’Institut agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II de Rabat au Maroc sur les politiques foncières et les indicateurs d’évaluation de la gouvernance foncière, l’équipe de recherche dirigée par le professeur Moha El-ayachi et monsieur Kamal Benaddou de l’ETAFAT entreprend en collaboration avec le Professeur Ibrahima Diallo, Coordonnateur NELGA Afrique de l’Ouest Francophone, une étude sur le cadre d’analyse de la gouvernance foncière par l’outil LGAF en côte d’Ivoire le 26 juin 2020 à partir de 10h30.
Webinar on the Analysis of Land Governance in Côte d’Ivoire between 2016 and 2020.
English: The research team led by Professor Moha El-ayachi and Mr Kamal Benaddou of ETAFAT is undertaking in collaboration with Professor Ibrahima Diallo, Coordinator NELGA Francophone West Africa, a study on the framework for the analysis of land governance by the LGAF tool in Côte d’Ivoire on 26th June 2020 at 10:30 am. The Webinar will be an opportunity to share and clarify the frame for analyzing land governance using the LGAF tool. Â
French: Dans le cadre des activités de recherche conduite à l’Institut agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II de Rabat au Maroc sur les politiques foncières et les indicateurs d’évaluation de la gouvernance foncière, l’équipe de recherche dirigée par le professeur Moha El-ayachi et monsieur Kamal Benaddou de l’ETAFAT entreprend en collaboration avec le Professeur Ibrahima Diallo, Coordonnateur NELGA Afrique de l’Ouest Francophone, une étude sur le cadre d’analyse de la gouvernance foncière par l’outil LGAF en côte d’Ivoire le 26 juin 2020 à partir de 10h30. Â
Policy Brief: Tenure Security of Internally Displaced Persons in Cameroon
We have the pleasure to share with you our newest Policy Brief on Tenure Security of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Cameroon.
This Policy Brief is structured in four sections: the first aim is to show why it is important to secure the land rights of IDPs; the second analyses the issues and challenges of securing land rights for IDPs; the third summarizes recommendations on which to base the discussion prior to a possible revision of the texts. The last section offers suggestions for parliamentarians and any other actor wishing to know more about the issue. «Who knows better, argues better, raises awareness and convinces».
