Category: Uncategorized
Insight from Queen Mothers to Influence Implementation Headway on Ghana’s New Land Act
From February 2-4, 2022, Queen mothers, traditional leaders, and representatives of customary land secretariats will gather in Tamale, Ghana, to discuss Ghana’s Land Act (Act 1036) 2020 and review actions to improve the legislation implementation. The meeting organised by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) through NELGA aims to create awareness and improved understanding among customary leaders on Ghana’s new land governance regime.
The meeting will highlight the new laws influences on land administration and decision making among traditional leaders, ensuring traditional authorities, especially Queen Mothers, understand and carry out actions supporting the Land Act.
Ghana operates a dual land tenure system. There are the state system and the customary system. The state system administers about 20% of the total land in Ghana while the customary system, managed by several traditional leaders, administers the remaining 80%. This land tenure arrangement is clearly spelt out in different legislations on land, indicating that land users in Ghana could acquire land from either the state or traditional leaders. While traditional leaders have their mandate in land administration defined both in law and custom, their role is limited to the granting of various rights and interests in the land they oversee.
Traditional Leaders do not have the mandate to determine and approve land uses, nor do they manage the registration of rights and interest in land. Those functions are reserved for state agencies to perform. This means that one can negotiate and conclude an agreement for a parcel of land with a traditional leader. However, the approval for the type of use and registration of the land can only be granted by the state. The interlinkages between the functions of the state and those of traditional leaders make it necessary to have a coordination of land administration services between the two systems. Such coordination would build a stronger land tenure system that delivers secured land rights. Unfortunately, there is limited coordination between the state and the customary land tenure system, resulting in many challenges and threats to land tenure security.
The workshop will discuss both compulsory and customary land administration under the new Land Act [Act 1036] of 2020 with traditional leaders. Furthermore, to ensure a successful engagement with the traditional leaders during the meeting, KNUST trained its research team on the MAXQDA qualitative analysis software for qualitative analysis. The research systems help scientists understand people and how social and cultural contexts influence decision-making, especially Queen Mothers regarding decisions on land within their jurisdiction. Subsequently, the research team intends to release a study that explores the role and involvement of queen mothers in the administration of land in Ghana. The study will provide informed context to queries around the participation of Queen Mothers in the administration of land and land-based decisions in four regions within mid-Ghana.
What Have NELGA Alumni Been Up To
The NELGA scholarship and fellowship programs graduate and train some of the most gifted land governance newbies and experts in Africa. The NELGA team recently reached out to some of them, keeping us updated on how NELGA’s support has influenced their personal lives and professional achievements.
George Tonderai Mudimu, a postdoctoral fellow at Institute for Poverty, Land, and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), South Africa
I had my first encounter with NELGA Southern Africa Node in February 2018. I was a research intern at the Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies (SMAIAS) and was nominated to attend the inaugural NELGA course in Land Governance and Corruption in Namibia. This course was quite useful for me for it delved into practical and theoretical issues on land governance, which was the focus of my doctoral research. Some of the key lessons I learnt from this course I utilized in my doctoral thesis write up as well as in my journal articles, more specifically my article on land leasing in post land reform Zimbabwe and on other land governance-related works.
My second and also crucial interface with NELGA was a few months later in July. SMAIAS nominated me to attend the Scoping Study on Land Governance in Africa course. I networked with colleagues at the meeting and jointly we developed a research piece on equitable and sustainable land governance for Africa. The research piece was shared at both regional and continental levels. This research piece has partly been instrumental to land governance in Africa and has been cited by a few academic works and policy briefs on land policy in Zimbabwe (over 100 downloads and citations). I am now seen as a resource expert and improved my activism on land reforms matters and have been invited to speak during online events on land governance more frequently.
Rebecca Justin Milamo, Assistant Lecturer at Ardhi University, Tanzania
After attaining my undergraduate degree in 2014, I worked with several real estate firms, public institutions as well as volunteering in a local professional association as an executive assistant. Through that, I realized that the industry has a lot of challenges but is also very exciting and promising. In Tanzania, real estate professional practice is still underdeveloped partly due to a limited number of highly skilled and qualified professionals (especially women) and institutions. Despite the prevalence of land governance-related problems, still, a large section of the population is ignorant of land issues. The problem is even much more pronounced amongst women, which in turn limit their access to land resources.
Thereafter, I was motivated to enhance my professional skills by pursuing further studies. Due to insufficient financial capacity, I searched for several scholarships and funding programs until I got the DAAD NELGA/SLGA in-country scholarship. Despite enabling me to attain my Masters’ degree, this scholarship has exposed me to different international conferences and workshops, cultures, expanded my network locally and internationally as well as enhanced my research and communication skills through various training and seminars.
It is through the NELGA scholarship program I have acquired the required qualifications that enabled me to join an academic institution (Ardhi University) as a tutor, researcher and consultant. This opportunity creates a good platform for sharing my knowledge and skills with other upcoming young stars who have an interest in land-related issues. It also enables me to use my expertise in researching and publishing to share or exchange the knowledge I have with the general public so as to address some of the land-related challenges being faced. Hence, I consider this to be the best way of giving back to the community.
Emmanuel Offei Akrofi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Geomatic Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
I was engaged in NELGA Staff Exchange Programme to the Department of Land Administration of INES-RUHENGERI, Rwanda. I taught Introduction to Land Administration from February 18, 2020, through March 13, 2020 There were two streams A and B totalling 110 students, including second-year students who were re-writing the course. Besides, the normal teaching Dr. Tende Renz Tichafogwe, another volunteer for the staff exchange program from Cameroon, and I jointly organized seminars on Linkages between the Environment and Land Management and Research Methodology for the second-and third-year students of the Department.
Participation in the NELGA staff Exchange has been beneficial to me as an individual in several ways. It has broadened my knowledge and understanding of the complexities of land administration challenges facing Africa, particularly Rwanda and Ghana and some of the innovative ways these challenges are being tackled. Again, the need for adequate skilled manpower in all aspects of land administration and the need for African Universities to collaborate to improve this became evident. Consequently, a joint proposal between INES, KNUST and the other four Universities in Africa has been presented to the EU for sponsorship under Academic Mobility for Africa’s Development through the Academia-Industry Collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation (AMADIST).
Germain Muvunyi, Lecturer and Academic Researcher, Institute of Applied Sciences Ruhengeri (INES Ruhengeri) Rwanda
The Network of Excellence for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) supported by the GIZ, gave me the chance to attend and present my research results at conferences in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. My research interest includes Remote Sensing & GIS for Environment, Natural Resource Management, Land Administration and Management, LULC/Landscape characterization & climate change studies. As a young scientist and researcher with a lot of dreams and aspirations, delivering a scientific talk and getting feedback or comments is hugely important for one’s career. Selected programs were strongly compatible with my career interests.
These in hand with extensive interactions with fellow experts in the field of Land Administration and Management from various countries, helped me to secure substantial working knowledge good enough to contribute to some Land administration interventions in Rwanda or East Africa, with evidence-based satisfactory services accomplished with skills, efficiency and effectiveness. It was great to be able to discuss projects and practical examples outside of my day to day practice and sector, and then to consider how these scenarios might apply in my country. As result, one of my articles was published as a chapter in the book titled: Responsible and Smart Land Management Interventions: An African Context.”
Valentina Nyame, Research Assistant and MPhil in Planning graduate, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
As part of the NELGA programme, I was sponsored for a short-term research stay at the Chair of Land Management, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. This offered a unique opportunity to interact with research, interact and network with experts across different countries on land governance in Africa. Specifically, the course on land management and tenure was insightful in exposing me to the land management practices in Germany and around the world as well as techniques in dealing with the varying interests on land. I was also able to work on collaborative research with the Chair of Land Management on land access among women in Ghana.
My experience with NELGA has been transformational for my career growth and development. Based on the knowledge and expertise I gained through the NELGA programme, I am currently employed as a research assistant on a project which assesses the effect of land governance on the socio-economic empowerment of gender in Ghana. I not only had an opportunity to pursue a masters program but I also gained a network of colleagues, experts and professionals that are working together to transform land governance in Africa.
Even as an Alumna, I continue to benefit from skill training programmes and several other opportunities for research and networking. I am happy to be part of NELGA and grateful for every opportunity I have been given. I will also like to encourage others, whether a student, graduate or professional, to take advantage of the opportunities provided by NELGA to make useful impacts in their countries.
Ovono Edzang Noël, Researcher, Department of Geography of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (FLSH), Omar Bongo University (UOB), CERGEP Research Center, Gabon
Working with NELGA, I was able to carry out a national research study to assess the land governance framework in the country. Recommendation from the study was presented at the launch of the formulation of the National Agricultural Investment Plan, Food Security and Nutrition 2 (PNIASAN 2) in Gabon. Insights from the research will be added to Gabon’s National Agricultural Investment Plan. It is rewarding to see ones hard work and words, playing a key role in shaping the country land governance landscape thanks to NELGA support.
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa is a partnership of leading African universities and research institutions with proven leadership in education, training, and research on land governance.
ECA Reviews its Work on Strengthening Africa’s Land Policy Sector in a Year of Challenges
The Economic Commission for Africa ECA’s overarching focus is to support member states in achieving sustainable development and Agenda 2063. One of which is through policy support and creating an enabling environment to increase private sector investment in agriculture, infrastructure, energy and services, and improve the business-enabling environment. In delivering the above mandate, ECA’s Agriculture and Business Enabling Environment Section (ABEE) sector assists member States in formulating and implementing evidence-based policies to support their efforts to further enhance the private sector contribution to Africa’s transformation with a particular focus on agriculture and land-related policies.
The section presented its key results for the fourth quarter of 2021 and an outlook for 2022 at during the ECA’s Annual and Fourth Quarter (Q4) Accountability and Programme Review Meeting held from 14 to 17 December.
Joan Kagwanja, Section Chief for ABEE, stated, “For ABEE, the COVID-19 pandemic and political challenges in some countries of focus provided unfavourable circumstances in meeting targets. However, we feel confident that we are turning the corner. Our fourth-quarter performance shows we are on track towards improved land tenure and security in Africa, which contributes to the continent’s economic growth and transformation and in meeting Agenda 2030 and AU agenda 2063.”
Among the key achievements, the section:
- Developed and validated five regional synthesis study reports on agro-poles development in Africa;
- Validated the African regional overview report on food security and nutrition in Africa
- Developed and reviewed four curricula for Jomo Kenyetta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya on land governance and resources management, which fosters the capacity of future land policymakers;
- For the 2021 Conference on Land Policy in Africa, held in collaboration with AUC, AfDB, ECA, and the Government of Rwanda, over 80 paper presentations in over 60 sessions garnered over 280 articles in the media and over 1.18k in social media engagement.
“Regardless of the virtual nature of the conference, we had over 450 unique virtual participants for the opening ceremony alone,” said Kagwanja.
Other achievements include capacity building masterclasses on land governance in Africa, publishing the fifth edition of the Africa Journal on Land policy and Geospatial Sciences for 2021, and developing the assessment report on strengthening women’s land tenure security in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some of these results were achieved while working in close partnership with COMESA, EAC, AfDB, DARBE and other development partners, including technical support to member states.
“It is expected that 2022 provides the opportunity improve the business enabling environment for attracting investments in the critical area of agriculture and land in Africa,” stated Kagwanja.
Closing Land Governance Research Gaps in Africa: NELGA Promotes Land Education, Knowledge and Culture at the 2021 Regional Land Policy Conference
For NELGA, the fourth Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA) 2021 edition unwrapped inspiring and innovative ideas relating to land policy and its implementation in Africa. Held virtually from the 1st to 4th November 2021, CLPA was designed to accommodate critical sessions that showcased the continent’s progress in meeting the African Union land agenda. This includes the review of land administration frameworks, innovations, land management, and opportunities presented in academic research, action plans and data analysis for Africa.
With over 1,700 participants, the CLPA, which was organised by the Africa Land Policy Center (ALPC) with support of GIZ’s SLGA programme, provided the space for NELGA to contribute to the capacity development of land stakeholders in Africa. With the CLPA theme focus on Land governance for safeguarding art, culture and heritage towards the Africa We Want, the NELGA sessions aimed to provide land education, knowledge and research that is embedded in the evolving customary dynamics prevalent in the land space. Considering the hybrid nature of the CLPA, NELGA members from all over Africa had the opportunity to submit and present scientific papers to bridge research and policy gaps for land stakeholders. The session came fully loaded with ideas carefully analysed and approved by the CLPA scientific committee for presentation at the CLPA.
Besides individual NELGA members making paper presentations, land experts from NELGA teamed up to showcase innovation, best practice and progress to improve land systems in Africa in these three areas of work – Cultural dimensions in land research and training; Innovative actions towards meeting the African Union land agenda in Africa; and Analysis of land tenure systems in Northern Africa. These sessions ran between 1st and 3rd November and bridged knowledge gaps by presenting the findings from the comparative experience of NELGA nodes in bringing innovative solutions for sustainable land management via diverse cultural contexts in Africa. NELGA’s Programme Officer, Dr. Desire Tchigankong, explains that the NELGA sessions educated landowners and practitioners on relevant knowledge and skills needed in securing livelihoods, economic growth, and sustainable development through the creative economy in both the rural and urban settings. These sessions, as he explained, would contribute to achieving sustainable growth while maintaining healthy land policies and cultural practices in Africa.
Africa needs more land professionals
Dr. Judy Kariuki, Economic Officer for the ALPC, spoke during the session, Innovative actions towards meeting the African Union land agenda in Africa, on the progress the Network is making towards improving the academic land governance space in Africa. Reported progress includes the addition of land curricula at academic institutions that are framed within the principles of the AU land agenda. PhD programmes enrollment has increased and introduced in institutions which had no designated land themed programmes. Also, research now focuses on problem-solving rather than promotions which are gradually picking up within nodes and internalised in countries. Dr. Kariuki called for an increase in the number of land professionals in Africa and the introduction of African academic findings into curricula.
In line with other speakers, they recommend the regular uptake of curricula reviews and terrain assessment which takes into consideration new findings from industry experts and exposes land scholars to collaborative research and support continuous learning through a multidisciplinary approach to adequately prepare the land stakeholders and policymakers of the future for Africa.
Leverage on Innovation
“There continues to be poor understanding of how culture and heritage influences and transforms land administration systems. However, situations like the COVID-19 pandemic presented an environment to adopt new transformational approaches and leverage on technology to drive land themed campaigns, capacity development and a stronger understanding on how such themes influence the political economy of the land space in Africa,” explains Prof. Moeniba Isaacs, NELGA technical coordinator, Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of Western Cape, South Africa at the masterclass on understanding how technology and innovation can improve land administration systems in diverse cultural context. She highlighted the evolution of technological innovations and synthesised them with land administration systems, bringing to light the positive result this would bring to both urban and rural communities in Africa. She explained that such innovation is characterised by what institutions and universities such as PLAAS present.
The session looked at universities as education providers and knowledge generators through research but are criticised for having a limited impact on society. For Innovation to be achieved in Universities offering land governance programs, major changes in institutional cultureare inevitable. Innovation requires collaboration with the private sector and government agencies to foster an enabling environment for innovative practices carried out by land programmes at higher institutions. This includes streamlining innovation in teaching and research, and Universities becoming systematic about scientific impact, budget for innovation and collaboration, and plan for intellectual asset management.
Land and North Africa
To improve the body of contemporary research work for policy reform on land governance in Africa, the node embarked on a scoping study to gather baseline information on land systems in North Africa. The research provided data on capacity gaps and needs in creating an enabling environment for land reforms in Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, Egypt, and Sudan. The research findings launched in 2021 provide a foundation for curricula development in line with AU curricula guidelines on land governance in Africa. The Scoping study was reviewed and provided context for the captured countries at the masterclass which was conveyed by the NELGA North Africa node under Prof. Moha El-Ayachi and featured Nabila Zouhiri, Siraj Sair, Heba Allah Khalil, Sait El Azark, and Salwa Saidi as speakers.
NELGA North Africa Coordinator Prof. Moha explained during the masterclass that scoping study showcase the important role of capacity development to land management, “Capacity development is crucial to addressing land conflicts, cadastral development, urban planning, and land use strengthens the local economy. One of the ways NELGA closes these capacity gaps is by setting up Masters degree programs on land management and building a partnership program with its North Africa member universities.” He also stressed the need for more training and research actions. In bridging this gap, the node has set up at IAV Hassan II university a Capacity Building Centre (CBC) to build capacity gaps identified in the regional scoping study.
Call for Proposals for the 6th GIZ LandHub Meeting,6 – 7 December 2021
The preparations for the 6th GIZ LandHub Meeting are in full progress and the GIZ Land Governance Team kindly invites you to join this year´s digital LandHub from 6 – 7 December. The GIZ LandHub Meeting stands for long-term exchange of knowledge and experience within the international land community and is the perfect opportunity for you to get in touch with colleagues from the GIZ and other organizations.
We would like to give you the opportunity to actively contribute to the event. There are two options:
Organize a full 90-minute online session on December 6 from 11:00 to 12:30 (UTC+1)
Contribute a 25-minute online input on December 7 from 11:00 to 12:30 (UTC+1)
Under this year’s title “Alliances for Impact: What have we achieved together?” we would like to have sessions and inputs along the following thematic tracks:
T1: Climate and Environment
T2: Gender Transformative Approaches
T3: Youth and Employment
T4: Sustainable Supply Chains and Private Sector Cooperation
T5: Securing Land Rights at Scale
T6: Policy Dialogue and Civil Society Engagement
If you would like to contribute to the upcoming LandHub, please submit your proposals for contributions to landmanagement@giz.de by November 10. Kindly fill out the forms for a 90-minute online session and/or a 25-minute online input attached to this e-mail
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us, and please feel free to share this call for proposals with your colleagues.
We look forward to seeing you at the next GIZ LandHub!
The Land Governance Team
Interested in regular updates from GIZ land projects? Please register for our Newsletter under this link: https://www.giz.de/de/mediathek/newsletter.html Our newsletter is the 8th in the list of Thematic Newsletters.
Call for Proposals for the 6th GIZ LandHub Meeting,6 – 7 December 2021
The preparations for the 6th GIZ LandHub Meeting are in full progress and the GIZ Land Governance Team kindly invites you to join this year´s digital LandHub from 6 – 7 December. The GIZ LandHub Meeting stands for long-term exchange of knowledge and experience within the international land community and is the perfect opportunity for you to get in touch with colleagues from the GIZ and other organizations.
We would like to give you the opportunity to actively contribute to the event. There are two options:
Organize a full 90-minute online session on December 6 from 11:00 to 12:30 (UTC+1)
Contribute a 25-minute online input on December 7 from 11:00 to 12:30 (UTC+1)
Under this year’s title “Alliances for Impact: What have we achieved together?” we would like to have sessions and inputs along the following thematic tracks:
T1: Climate and Environment
T2: Gender Transformative Approaches
T3: Youth and Employment
T4: Sustainable Supply Chains and Private Sector Cooperation
T5: Securing Land Rights at Scale
T6: Policy Dialogue and Civil Society Engagement
If you would like to contribute to the upcoming LandHub, please submit your proposals for contributions to landmanagement@giz.de by November 10. Kindly fill out the forms for a 90-minute online session and/or a 25-minute online input attached to this e-mail
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us, and please feel free to share this call for proposals with your colleagues.
We look forward to seeing you at the next GIZ LandHub!
The Land Governance Team
Interested in regular updates from GIZ land projects? Please register for our Newsletter under this link: https://www.giz.de/de/mediathek/newsletter.html Our newsletter is the 8th in the list of Thematic Newsletters.
Inaugural Webinar shows the Salience of the NEX Platform for Land Policy in Africa Discourse
The Africa Land Policy Center (ALPC), through NELGA, held its first NELGA Knowledge Exchange (NEX) webinar on September 30, 2021. The Webinar, which was hosted by NELGA technical node for Southern Africa, the Institute for Poverty Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of the Western Cape, featured speakers from the region and focused on the sharing case studies on hybrid municipal land governance in South Africa as a route to fixing land administration and structures in South Africa. The Webinar was supported by GIZ’s Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) program. It featured diverse participants from across Africa, including Chiefs of stakeholder organisations, academics, land experts, doctoral students, and professionals working in the purview of land governance and administration.
Dr. Joan Kagwanja, Chief of ALPC, expressed her delight to participate at the NEX inaugural Webinar as knowledge gained from such learning spaces makes its way into policy spaces and strengthening institutions where land rights are discussed and promoted leading to the prosperity of the people.
Organised in both English and French, Prof. Andries Du Toit from PLAAS chaired the NEX with presentations from Dr. Gaynor Paradza, a land expert from the public affairs research institute, and Taki Sithagu lecturer at Wits University. In setting the scene, Prof Du Toit explained that it is important to consider technical and political solutions in addressing dysfunctional land systems in South Africa. Considering that to govern the land is to govern the people on the land, Prod Du Toti stated that it is important to institutionalise knowledge that improves land administration for countries such as South Africa with its wide range of land administration systems.
The two presentations delivered in the session focused on South Africa. Dr. Gaynor Paradza insightful presentation shed light on the benefits and problems of land administration, fixing the challenges of land administration, roles of formal and informal institutions, which are municipalities and traditional leaders. According to Dr. Paradza, “a functional land administration system is fundamental to land reform, economic growth and equitable change and pursues widely accepted national land policy goals, plans and strategies. In South Africa, however, these objectives are often discordant or contested.” Dr. Paradza based her presentation on a framework that outlines a joint project among PLAAS, South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) which calls for reforms that focus on innovative and integrated land administration as a means to reconceptualise the institutional domain of land governance and help to overcome the fragmentation that undermines land administration. To emphasis the need for innovative land administration and data management systems, she states that “the people at Google Maps know more about African land data more than land practitioners here in Africa.” (20210907_LandAdminDiagnostic.pdf (nelga.uneca.org))
The Webinar also featured a compelling presentation from Taki Situgu titled -Hybrid land administration in rural municipalities (South Africa). This presentation enabled participants to reflect on hybrid land administration as a tool to address land dysfunctions, especially on neo-customary land systems. (Hybrid Land administration (nelga.uneca.org))
REGISTRATION OPEN: Rwanda to host the 2021 Conference on Land Policy in Africa #CLPA2021
Registration is now open to the 2021 Conference on Land Policy in Africa.
The fourth edition of the Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA) will be held in a hybrid format on November 2- 4 2021, under the theme: “Land governance for safeguarding art, culture and heritage towards the Africa We Want”.
The Conference’s theme aligns to the African Union Declaration of 2021 as African’s Year of Art, Culture and Heritage through the theme, “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”.
Participants should register for CLPA-2021 by clicking on this link https://www.conftool.org/africalandconference2021/ to have access to the event agenda, paper abstracts, and synopses of plenary sessions, masterclasses and side events, and to presented papers, upon the completion of the event, in addition to access to individual links to all sessions.
As the conference will use Zoom as its video streaming platform, participants are also invited to register on the following zoom link, https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvc-ytrz0rHt1THarIdfOGtJGgKcOZVA8R.
However, on the zoom link, the registration details are minimal as you will only be required to provide your name and email address. Those who have not registered on the conftool platform will not have access to any of the event sessions through the Zoom links.
CLPA is organized by African Land Policy Centre (ALPC), a joint initiative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). It will be co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda
Joan Kagwanja, Chief of ALPC notes that land in Africa is at the centre of culture and heritage, which provides a framework for a continental discourse towards improving the land governance space and attaining “The Africa We Want” as envisioned in the AU Agenda 2063.
She further observed that the ALPC recognizes the potential role of arts, culture, and heritage in catalysing the socioeconomic development and integration of the African continent. Hence, the proposed theme draws inspiration from the AU Agenda 2063 as a shared strategic framework and blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
“The year of arts, culture and heritage happens at a time when AU Member States are grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposes heavy human, financial and economic costs to the land governance space in Africa,” said Ms Kagwanja.
The overall objective of the Conference is to deepen commitment and strengthen capacity for land policy development, implementation and monitoring in Africa through improved access to knowledge and information in support of evidence-based land policymaking.
The CLPA conference is expected to improve knowledge in support of evidence-based land policy development, implementation and monitoring in Africa; enhanced and deepened consensus amongst African policymakers and stakeholders on promising avenues for addressing land governance challenges; improved networking, partnerships and resources for land governance and land policy in Africa; better appreciation of the role of land for safeguarding Africa’s art, culture, and heritage on livelihood particularly for marginalised groups.
Held every two years, the conference draws participants from government, academia, research, traditional authorities and other non-state actors, private sector and development partners to disseminate and exchange knowledge to promoting dialogue, networking, advocacy and partnerships in support of implementation of the AU agenda on land. Central to this agenda is evidence-based land policy development, review, implementation and monitoring.
About ALPC
ALPC was launched in 2017 as a successor to the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) established in 2006. Key achievements of the LPI include the development of the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa (F&G), prepared to provide guidance on the development and implementation of sound national land policies and the Guiding Principles on Large- scale Land based Investments (GPs) availed to AU member states in support of the negotiation of fairer and more sustainable land investments.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org
For more information on the conference, click here : https://www.uneca.org/stories/rwanda-to-host-the-2021-conference-on-land-policy-in-africa
NELGA Knowledge Exchange on Land Governance in Africa I Focus- Southern Africa
South Africa’s land governance is an outcome of diverse processes that include but are not limited to land administration. A focus on land administration’s history, ongoing research and initiatives to improve land administration reveal how the country experiences the challenges and outcomes of attempts to resolve the problems.
The webinar will provide an overview of the challenges of South Africa’s dysfunctional land administration system, which is marred by a deep dualism that leaves an estimated 60% of South Africans without de facto institutional support for informal and customary rights in land and also highlight insights gained from ongoing attempts to address the challenges
The webinar will touch on the following subjects:
1. The colonial origins of South Africa’s dualistic land administration system and the practical consequences.
2. A case study of hybrid land management institutions that have evolved in response to experienced dysfunction, highlighting both the opportunities and the risks involved.
3. Findings from a pilot project exploring the scope for reform of dysfunctional systems through processes of social dialogue and institutional learning.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Sep 30, 2021 01:00 PM Nairobi
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcumuqDMtGdxBRjMqrNRYQhnhcGx8LkrD
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
NELGA Land Data Hub Holds Sensitization Workshop for Stakeholders in Tanzania
The Land Administration Unit at Ardhi University which hosts the NELGA Eastern Africa Node organized the NELGA Land Data Hub Sensitization Workshop jointly with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) from July 5 to 9, 2021 at the university.
NELGA’s Land Data Hub is a platform developed to ensure the collation, documentation and real-time analysis of land data in Africa. The Hub is currently piloted in Tanzania and the workshop provided land stakeholders and users from research institutions, academics and government representatives the opportunity to share useful inputs to the RCMRD Team on the Land Data Hub particularly on issues of access to data, functionalities of the developed data hub and the themes.
Developed by RCMRD and Geo Consult International (GCI) with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the NELGA Land Data Hub aims to accumulate and store country- and region-specific sources of land-related information. It also intends to guide land governance stakeholders and end-users in obtaining this information.
An Action Plan for improving the data hub was drawn with a timeline of two months i.e. 13th July – 2nd September 2021.
To read up on the data hub, click here: RCMRD and GCI Holds Workshop to Showcase NELGA Land Data Hub – The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa