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Jimmy’s Success Story – NELGA Alumni

“Attending the NELGA course on the Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa has shaped my career” – Jimmy Ochom, a land rights advocate, shared his experience in the NELGA program.

Three significant actions have influenced me in my career.

As a child who grew up in Ntinda, Uganda, my career path was first influenced by my secondary school, Busoga College, which taught me to live independently and think outside the box for innovative solutions to the country’s problems. This is solely attributed to the school culture and enabling environment it provides.

The second influence was my father, the late David Onyoin Okalebo. He believed that education was the key to my success. By the time he died, he was the CEO of the Teso Private Sector Foundation. He took his time to teach me how NGOs operate. From that background, when I realised NGOs could support my human rights interests, I ensured that for every internship and clerkship, it was from organisations that supported my areas of interest. 

The third influence was my passion for land rights. My first job as a Legal Officer at the Uganda Land Alliance shaped my career; the organisation advocated for the realisation of land rights for the vulnerable. I loved what I did. I saw the impact of my work through access to land justice in beneficiaries’ lives. This passion led me to explore opportunities to foster land rights, including attaining a Master’s in Laws (LLM-Laws).

These three influences impacted my knowledge and opened doors for me, including being selected for the 2018 NELGA short Course on the Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa organised by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies. This was a turning point in my career as a land rights expert. The course enabled me to understand several things that drive land governance. I learned the intersection between land rights, climate change, food systems, agriculture, legal empowerment, and politics and how these influence the growth of countries’ economies. I have used and grown this knowledge, and I have taken younger lawyers whom I am also empowering and steering their careers toward land governance. Attending the NELGA course on the Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa has shaped my career. It has exposed me to all regional, national, and global platforms where I have been able to champion the fight for land rights in my country and globally. I could appreciate the intersection between law, legal empowerment, land rights, food security, climate justice, and agriculture and how these challenges need to be understood to support the growth of economies. The course gave me a grasp on the analysis of land policies, food systems policies, agriculture policies, legal empowerment policies, etc.

The training has influenced my work. I do advocacy and influencing, especially in government, and my learnings have made me more confident in the land space.

The training boosted my confidence that I remain on the right path on land rights. Many people always associate lawyers with private and corporate spaces with little to no support for community rights for something as simple as simplifying legal interpretations for the community. I currently provide legal interpretation for laws associated with communal land rights and equip citizens with knowledge about land laws and policies, to stand up for any injustices, especially for women, youth and the vulnerable.


NELGA, DAAD Announce Second Summer School on Land Governance in Ghana

In February 2019, NELGA held its scholarship holders’ first summer school and research development workshop in Ghana. Hosted by NELGA Anglophone West Africa (AWA) node under Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the workshop sets the stage for NELGADAAD-scholarship holders to meet experts in land governance, learn and share ideas and network among NELGA scholars and trainers. The first edition of the summer school provided the platform for in-house training on different tools for research data collection and analysis.

Following the success of the 2019 edition,  NELGA AWA will organize a second summer school in 2022 to provide further assistance to scholarship holders in personal branding, mentorship and entrepreneurship, which are essential for preparing scholarship holders for the job market. The aim of the summer school is also to allow the NELGA-DAAD scholarship holders to present and discuss their research work, methodological design and preliminary results in a constructive atmosphere. Candidates will receive feedback from external experts, fellow candidates and supervisors. KNUST will compile the experiences of alumni from which current scholarship holders can learn and benefit. At the end of the summer school, a platform will be created and sustained where fellows and alumni will interact and receive regular information and updates on land governance issues, job vacancies, scholarship opportunities for further training and other career development prospects.

Against these backgrounds, the summer school will discuss different concepts, theories and epistemological approaches with supervisors, external experts and researchers;  Introduce scholars to time management; Introduce scholars to the art of writing successful research thesis and getting published;  Prepare scholarship holders for the job market; and Foster collaboration and networking among scholars, KNUST, and alumni.

Click here to view the course content, trainers, schedule, assessment and other information.

For more information, contact: Patrick.Opoku@giz.de


NELGA DAAD Announces Second Summer School on Land Governance in Ghana

In February 2019, NELGA held its scholarship holders’ first summer school and research development workshop in Ghana. Hosted by the NELGA Anglophone West Africa (AWA) node (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), the workshop sets the stage for NELGA DAAD-scholarship holders to meet experts in land governance, learn and share ideas and network with NELGA scholars and trainers. This first edition of the summer school provided a platform for in-house training on different tools for research data collection and analysis.

Following the success of the 2019 edition,  NELGA AWA will organize a second summer school in 2022 to provide further assistance to scholarship holders in personal branding, mentorship and entrepreneurship, which are essential for preparing scholarship holders for the job market. The aim of the summer school is also to allow the NELGA-DAAD scholarship holders to present and discuss their research work, methodological design and preliminary results in a constructive atmosphere. Candidates will receive feedback from external experts, fellow candidates and supervisors. KNUST will compile the experiences of alumni from which current scholarship holders can learn and benefit. At the end of the summer school, a platform will be created and sustained where fellows and alumni will interact and receive regular information and updates on land governance issues, job vacancies, scholarship opportunities for further training and other career development prospects.

Against these backgrounds, the summer school will discuss different concepts, theories and epistemological approaches with supervisors, external experts and researchers;  Introduce scholars to time management; Introduce scholars to the art of writing successful research thesis and getting published;  Prepare scholarship holders for the job market; and Foster collaboration and networking among scholars, KNUST, and alumni.

Click here to view the course content, trainers, schedule, assessment and other information.

Download and view the course content, trainers, schedule, assessment and other information.

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For more information, contact: Patrick.Opoku@giz.de

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Academia-Industry in Land Governance Forum: Showcasing Opportunities to Bridge Research and Capacity Gaps to Achieve Agenda 2063

The first day of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) North Africa series of workshops and conferences on The Academia-Industry collaboration in land governance: an emerging opportunity from profit-making to innovation which took place on June 27 in Rabat, Morocco, concluded with a plenary session on research-industry best practices in strengthening academia-industry relationships while meeting industry needs for Africa’s development.

The goal of the session was to discuss, share and disseminate the achieved knowledge for NELGA North Africa and contribute to the capacity development of partners in various domains that have direct linkage with land governance, land policies, and géoinformation technologies. It also includes how this knowledge can make its way into policy and land market spaces. All speakers agreed that land governance efforts are key to achieving the SDGs and African Union Agenda 2063 as land is linked to most development interventions and the academic support needs to be scaled up if sustainable development is to be achieved.

“A well-functioning land market together with high security of land ownership will lead to stronger economic development for Morocco, the North Africa region, and the continent” explains Prof Abdelaziz El Hraiki, Director of IAV Hassan II. He emphasised that essential collaboration with academia can address serious challenges thrown up by land tenure systems which can guarantee sustainable land resources management. The academia provides research insights which are captured in comprehensive frameworks. These frameworks are essential for sustainable development as they focus on best practices and research achievement which can be scaled and adapted to meet the unique needs of AU member states.

Joan Kagwanja, the Chief of UNECA’s African Land Policy Centre (ALPC), agreed with Prof El Hraiki and urged greater collaboration between academia and industry to bridge capacity, research and advisory gaps. The academia trains the policymakers, land professionals, decision-making authorities and other actors. It provides the necessary analysis that forms the basis of the evidence used to develop legal and institutional frameworks. “We identify a real gap between industry and the university. At ALPC, one of the ways we work to close the gaps is by looking at the land curricula across the continent. We have developed an AU endorsed guideline to close these gaps,” explains Kagwanja in addressing best practices for bridging knowledge gaps. She calls for better integration of research efforts within existing land development mechanisms.

In addition to highlighting the role of research in supporting the development of legal frameworks, Kagwanja spoke at length about the creation of the ALPC and the role of the African Union Commission and Africa Development Bank in meeting the AU Land Agenda. The AU Agenda 2063 and the SDG targets call for sustainable land governance. Without an enabling land environment, the continent will not be able to meet its development targets, especially around poverty, zero hunger, gender equity, climate and others, which affect the way resources are managed. Land governance remains a political, economic, health, conflict and development challenge that impacts other economic growth areas. Addressing land governance promotes sustainable development for the continent, she concluded.

NELGA is a program of the ALPC. The ALPC, created through a tripartite partnership of the UNECA, AUC and AFDB is involved in many projects that demonstrate the relationship between academia and research with policy and market spaces, including through NELGA. One of such spaces is the bi-annual Conference on Land Policy in Africa which brings together land stakeholders from across Africa and the globe to discuss new trends, opportunities and resolutions toward sustainable land governance and development in Africa.


Central Africa Validates Research on Cameroon, Chad, CAR Cross-border Conflict

On 28 June 2022, NELGA Central Africa brought together experts on land issues from several Central African countries for a validation workshop on its research on evaluating the triggers and solutions to cross-border conflicts between Cameroon, Chad and CAR through the land lens.

These experts met to enrich the project document on land conflicts between farmers and herders on the three borders of Cameroon, Chad and CAR for validation. The workshop was attended by 20 people who made suggestions on different parts of the document through plenary and group discussions. Professor Tchawa Paul, the coordinator of NELGA CA, who took part in the workshop, hoped that donors interested in the issue would be open to discussions with a view to funding the effective implementation of this project.

In 2021, NELGA Central Africa embarked on baseline research to find lasting solutions to conflicts between farmers and herders along the Cameroon, Chad and CAR borders.

For years, conflicts between farmers and herders in the Sahelian regions have occurred repeatedly. Farmers and herders need spaces that offer appropriate resources to expand their agricultural activities but with the contribution of climate change resources are dwindling and conflicts ensue from the struggle over limited resources which has a huge impact on women who are the primary users of land in rural-border areas.

Although there are innovative practices in finding peaceful resolutions of land conflicts without recourse to the laws, however, these peace terms do not stand the test of time and end up with the destruction of property, loss of life and internally displaced persons.

The meeting provided the opportunity to review and arrive at a consensus on the research and proposed solutions to the land conflict based on the frameworks and guidelines of the African Union thereby looking at sustainable solutions to the management of cross-border land conflicts between Cameroon, Chad and CAR.


NELGA Central-Africa Awards the Best PHD and Master theses on Land Tenure

On Friday 17 June 2022, the NELGA-Central Africa piloted by the University of Yaoundé I and placed under the coordination of Professor Tchawa Paul rewarded the best in the framework of the first edition 2021-2022 of the competition for the best PHD and Master theses on land tenure in Central Africa.

This activity was part of the work plan implemented under the partnership agreement signed between NELGA-Central Africa and GIZ for the implementation of an African Union project on land governance in Africa. The competition registered forty-six applications from Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Gabon and even Senegal; eleven applicants were female. The applications were then analysed by a scientific committee made up of six university professors including geographers, sociologists and jurists. This committee analyses the candidatures based on a set of criteria among which the scientific approach, the originality of the contribution to land governance, the interdisciplinary character and the gender approach.

In front of the fifty or so participants gathered in person and remotely to experience this event, the Coordinator of the NELGA-Central Africa published the names of the six winners. Three were from the PhD theses and the other three were from the master thesis.

The winners were the following.

The PHD thesis are:

  • Mr. Kengne Fotso Fabrice of the University of Dschang
  • Mr. Bonguem François Engelbert of the University of Yaoundé 2
  • Mr. Ndjounguep Juscar of the University of Yaoundé 1

These students won with the respective averages of 15.6, 15.3 and 15.1 over 20. For the Master theses, the three winners were:

  • Mrs Safiatou Saïdou of the University of Maroua with an average of 15.3 over 20
  • Mrs Agwese Lucy Christiane of the Catholic University of Central Africa with an average of13.8 over 20
  • Mr Bubala Wilondja Isaac of the Higher Institute of Rural Development whose average was 13.3 over 20.

This first edition of the 2021-2022 prize-giving ceremony for the best PhD and Master theses was enhanced by the presence of eminent personalities; among them, were the Secretary-General of the Cameroonian Ministry of Lands, Cadastre and Land Affairs (MINDCAF), the Representative of the National Coordinator of the Network of Parliamentarians (REPAR), the Representative of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), members of the Scientific Committee, and representatives of civil society organisations.

The themes on which the winning students worked were as follows:

  • Forestry legislation and securing land rights: the case of Cameroon and Gabon
  • Land rights of indigenous peoples in Cameroon
  • Participatory mapping: A tool for dialogue and conflict prevention in the communities of Nguti, South-West region of Cameroon
  • Socio-cultural determinants and women’s access to land in Maroua: between traditions and social changes
  • Gender and the fight against land inequalities in Central Africa: the case of Cameroon
  • Effectiveness and relevance of innovations promoted by non-state actors in securing land in South Kivu in Eastern DRC.

In presenting the winners with their provisional cheques, Professor Tchawa Paul congratulated them on their work and called on the non-winning candidates not to be discouraged, but rather to prepare for the next edition. He also invited the students present at the ceremony to stay connected to the NELGA-Central Africa website and even to join the NELGA research WhatsApp group in order not to miss any news in the future.


Moroccan Government, NELGA North Africa Hosts Series of Meetings to Improve Land Academia-Industry Collaboration

From June 27 to 29, 2022, land experts from across Africa will meet in Rabat, Morocco under the invitation of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forest, H.E Mohammed Sadiki and NEGA North Africa node, to improve the research-policy synergy in the country and Africa.

This event brings together national, regional, and international experts to build a concrete framework of collaboration between academia and industry in the domain of land policy and land governance. The meeting discussion goes beyond analysing the traditional challenges to an effective academia-industry relationship but also addresses new issues such as developing efficient dialogue and communication platforms which transform research into marketable products.

The three-day event will address the following themes:

  • Academia-industry interaction strategy on land policy and land governance,
  • Actor’s point of view on land tenure management strategies: what is land governance?
  • Land tenure systems and land rights issues regarding women, young people, and the community,
  • Regulatory, Institutional, and technical considerations of Land Governance Policy and
  • The integration of Géo-ICT in land policy and land governance.

The event will also discuss challenges; addressing questions of how to develop land policy strategies, establish land governance paradigms, and promote research programs that encourage knowledge sharing by creating awareness among researchers about pitching research in the right environment to create greater impact.

It is expected that the meeting will address the main demands of industry towards implementing research-based responses to land policy development while reinforcing knowledge sharing and technology transfer as essential in creating a comprehensive set of best practices and marketable products. It is also expected that the meeting will establish a reference guide on land governance expertise which enables the collaborative framework between academia and the government.

To register, click here: Meeting Registration – Zoom


Academics Push for National Research Agendas on Land Governance in Africa

The Knowledge Exchange Workshop (KEW) held on June 21, 2022, in Entebbe, was an opportunity for NELGA partners and land stakeholders to discuss and demonstrate the usefulness of research as a tool to support the formulation and implementation of land policies.

The session examined knowledge-to-policy-uptake in Senegal and Cameroon by outlining how such uptakes on land governance issues can be improved on a national and continental level. The session also featured case studies from Benin and Burkina Faso, elaborating an implementation model of the government policy on the sedentarisation of agro-pastoralist communities.

The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperation between research and parliamentarian bodies to explore linkages in formulating land-related policies and laws. The vision of this research is to inform legislation, but in Burkina Faso, there are difficulties in establishing contacts and spaces for discussion between academic institutions and the parliamentarian body.

The academic community in Benin is well organised and as such, the process for successful collaboration between research and policy/legitimacy Land Tenure Concerns Inventory has been developed. Academics in Benin are trying to improve the research aspect based on the needs expressed in the platform by CSOs and policy; by – among other things – condensing hundreds of pages of research into policy briefs, making it easier for the research to be available and used as a tool for communication with the policymakers.   Seeing how pertinent research is in this context it is important to take stock of available knowledge and support its vulgarization and dissemination in the context of diagnostic studies. It is also important to strengthen multi-stakeholder platforms as a tool for elaborating on research agendas amongst stakeholders. One of the ways this can be accomplished is by strengthening NELGA as a platform of engagement and collaboration between policy and science across Africa.

This discussion highlights the relevance of research as a tool to support the implementation of land policies and reflects on approaches to establishing policy-science dialogue platforms at national levels. The session features case studies from Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cameroon examining knowledge-to-policy-uptake, from the continental to the national level. It outlines how such uptakes on land governance issues can be improved on a continental level and how this level interacts with the national level.


NELGA Holds Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Secure land rights – learning, collaboration, and practice

While significant global land tenure security achievements have been made over recent years, numerous challenges still remain. Advanced land management systems require a high standard of technical and administrative capacity, particularly as digital approaches are mainstreamed. Linking practical approaches and research in land management to policy often requires a combination of context-specific, holistic and cost-efficient solutions.

As a response to the above challenges, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ in November 2015 to implement two global programmes on land governance, namely the “Global Programme on Responsible Land Policy” (GPRLP, hereafter called the Global Programme) and “Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA).  

The Global Programme aims to improve access to land as a central precondition for poverty reduction and improving food security in rural areas, focusing on women and marginalised groups in selected countries. It currently implements activities in Benin, Ethiopia, Laos, Madagascar, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on:

  1. improving procedures to secure land tenure rights of the rural population;
  2. strengthening civil society;
  3. cooperation with the private sector.

“Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA) focuses on strengthening institutional and human capacities for better land policies in African countries. The programme operates on a continental level through regional hubs and in the African Union member states. It collaborates closely with the African Land Policy Center (ALPC) and offers scholarships and exchanges via DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).

Objectives of the Knowledge Exchange Workshop 2022

After 6.5 years of implementation in various countries, the two land governance programmes have supported a wide range of development options, adopted practical land rights formalisation approaches and incorporated them into policies. In addition, the creation of scientific networks has already proven to support the topic of land governance in training and research.

With several years of implementation still ahead, this is an ideal moment for the two global programmes to join hands, share successful experiences and lessons learnt, and define new ways forward in land tenure jointly with national partners in target countries. With a focus on South-South Exchanges, the programmes would like to make available increased knowledge and experiences across technical fora and networks. Thereby creating an opportunity to strengthen the topic of land tenure in a broader, more sustainable, and institutionalised manner. 
 

In this Knowledge and Exchange Workshop, the organisers aims to:

  • Reflect on responsible land policy development and implementation in partner  countries based on scientific/expert input and policy advice; 
  • Share experiences, successes and challenges with a broader audience; 
  • Generate orientations for partner countries for future implementation and beyond; 
  • Strengthen the network of land experts and foster regional exchange; and
  • Foster learning across countries and organisations for new land approaches.

The Knowledge Exchange Workshop will focus on four thematic areas, which are:

  1. Sustainable integration of fit-for-purpose (FFP) approaches into government procedures and policy for upscaling;
  2. Bridging gaps: demand-driven research for informed land tenure policy making;
  3. Fostering suitable frameworks for responsible land investments; 
  4. From Reach to Benefit and Empower – Gender Transformative Approaches in Theory and Practice.

The content will include a range of sharing and discussions formats such as:

  • Exchange of experiences to foster mutual learning and inspiration;
  • Expert / scientific inputs on successful approaches;
  • Presentations of good practices in target countries; 
  • Round tables/panel discussions, parallel sessions with results sharing;
  • Multi-stakeholder exchange and policy dialogue;
  • An excursion at the beginning of the KEW to appreciate the Ugandan experiences; 
  • Specific exchange format dedicated to participating Civil Society Organisations.

Les Meilleures Thèses et Mémoires sur le Foncier en Afrique Centrale Récompensées

En 2021, dans le cadre de la mise en Å“uvre des activités du projet “Renforcer les capacités de Conseil en Gouvernance foncière en Afrique”, le pôle d’Excellence NELGA a lancé un concours des meilleures thèses de Doctorat et mémoire de Master sur la question foncière en Afrique centrale. Il s’agissait pour toute personne ayant rédigé une thèse ou un mémoire récent sur la question, de la soumettre dans le cadre du concours. Pour les thèses, 13 candidatures dont celle d’une femme ont été reçues par le comité d’organisation contre 33 candidatures dont celle de 10 femmes pour les mémoires. Le comité scientifique ayant planché sur la sélection des meilleures candidatures était fort de 06 personnes. Sur la base de critères intégrant les aspects de genre, le Comité, dans le cadre de différentes séances de travail, a apprécié les différentes candidatures et rendu sa copie.  

Pour la publication des résultats et la remise des prix aux meilleurs candidats et candidates, une cérémonie est prévue le 17 juin 2022 à l’AUF, 14 :00 à 16 :00 (UTC+1). Cette cérémonie en même temps qu’elle marque la première édition (2021 – 2022) de ce genre d’évènement permettra de célébrer l’excellence académique et scientifique en Afrique centrale sur les questions foncières.  

Vous pouvez participer à la cérémonie en cliquant sur le lien ci-après: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmY5MGViMzItODNiZS00NDczLThiYmMtODc2MTI3NWQxODJh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225bbab28c-def3-4604-8822-5e707da8dba8%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%222b0af0bc-9114-49d2-ba12-e8bda0eaf348%22%7d