NELGA — SLGA’s flagship initiative — brings together African academia for the biennial Conference on Land Policy (CLPA) 2019

January 23, 2020

Organized by the African Land Policy Center (ALPC), with the support of SLGA, the third biennial conference on land seeking to deepen knowledge on land policy has been successfully concluded.  Themed “Winning the Fight Against Corruption in the Land Sector: Sustainable Pathway for Africa’s Transformation,” this important five-day conference drew over 400 participants from government, traditional leaders, development organizations, academia, civil society and various stakeholders active in the sector of land governance in Africa to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire between Nov. 25-29, 2019.

Panel Discussion © SLGA

NELGA (the Network of Excellence on Land Governance), was established by the ALPC with financial and technical assistance from the German Government through the BMZ and GIZ as well as other development partners.

At the just concluded CLPA 2019, NELGA has played a significant role in bridging the research gaps related to land governance in the African continent. Representatives from NELGA member universities as well as NELGA sponsored African scholars have presented their research papers at the event, which were relevant and timely to the continent’s needs.

In addition to sponsoring paper presenters, NELGA participated in the event by organizing a Master Class, a NELGA booth where participants could get information about NELGA and its partner ALPC. A NELGA reception which provided another opportunity for networking and highlighting the program’s activities and achievements was also successfully organized.

NELGA’s capacity building activities in collaboration with PLAAS, DAAD and ADLAND have included  providing trainings, master classes, Masters and PhD scholarships and research fellowships to hundreds of African scholars.

Giving testimonials at the event, NELGA Master Class alumni have confirmed that the scholarships have had positive impacts on their future careers.

The crucial role of the academia in bringing about research-based policy changes as well as the need to build the capacity of institutions in addressing land governance issues has been on the forefront of land governance discussions in Africa.

NELGA’s strategic role as a change agent to address this crucial need has been recognized during the conference by stakeholders across countries and sectors. Fueled by the positive feedback from stakeholders and partners, NEGA is poised to enhance its activities in the year 2020.

NELGA short course graduates shared their experience at the conference and the impact the short course had on their professional life. Pictured here the NELGA family.

The consensus at the CLPA 2019 was that effective land governance was indispensable in achieving Africa’s development goal—the Agenda 2063, due to its direct contribution to end poverty and hunger, promote agriculture and investment, ensure gender equality and inclusive growth.

Sound land governance policies, with transparent and well-functioning systems provide incentives to investors and are crucial in fighting corruption while on the other hand legal uncertainty, lack of transparency and accountability, complex and unclear administrative processes, undeveloped systems create and foster corruption, and undermine business confidence and investment.