Empowering Africa’s Land Governance through Education: NELGA’s Role at FIG Working Week

Africa’s journey towards sustainable land governance is characterized by the collective efforts of stakeholders, including academic institutions, multilateral organizations, and government bodies. Recently, the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) actively participated in the FIG Working Week held in Accra, Ghana, from May 19th to 24th, 2024.

NELGA’s engagement revolved around the theme of “Spatialities: Land, spatial development, and climate change.” Through insightful sessions, experts explored the intricate relationships between land, spatial planning, and climate change, offering innovative solutions for sustainable land management across Africa.

NELGA also shared “Good practices of African academic institutions in responding to the needs of the land sector.” This session emphasized the pivotal role of higher education institutions in shaping land governance’s future through curriculum development, evidence-based decision-making, and capacity building.

Chaired by Prof. John Tiah Bugri, Coordinator of NELGA West Africa, the session provided a platform to discuss best practices in land governance curriculum development, graduate integration into the labour market, and evidence-based decision-making.

NELGA also shared insights into its contributions to the AU Agenda on Land implementation and policy reform.

The engagement underscored the imperative for continued collaboration and innovation in land governance education. It emphasized platforms like NELGA in driving positive change across the continent. Through its participation, NELGA reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Africa’s land governance through education, research, and collaboration, laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and prosperous future.