Celina Kafute Awala, a Lecturer and a single mother of four, pursuing a Doctorate of Spatial Science with a sponsorship from DAAD at NUST shares her experiences with NELGA and the DAAD program.

I was born on 01 June 1981 and raised in the small village of Onamanape in the then Ombalantu district, in northern Namibia closer to Namibia-Angola borders. My father was a seasonal worker in Walvis Bay and my mother was a housewife and subsistence farmer. My parents did not have any formal education, however, my mother through the Roman Catholic church, learnt how to read the bible and eventually started preaching and taught other people catechisms for baptism which led them to be given national documents. I am the lastborn of seven from my mother and my father, however, my father was a polygamist, so we were 16 altogether from our two mothers. Growing up, our house was a happy place and I pretty happy childhood.

My early education was pretty memorable. I attended my primary education at Onembaba Combined School. Even though the school was far from home and there was no clock in our house, my mother would wake me up at dawn to get to school and arrive most times before my teachers. I loved school. It was a place where I met my friends, played a lot and shared meals. After school, I looked after our goats, again another place for interaction and play. I attended secondary school at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, outside Windhoek, the capital city. This was a life-changing experience, from village to boarding school, especially with English and Afrikaans that were mostly used for communication in the hostel and at school. However, I eventually caught up. This is where I learnt about responsibility, being on my own, and survival.  

Upon completing high school in 2000, I applied for electrical engineering at the then Polytechnic of Namibia (now Namibia University of Science and Technology, NUST), however, I failed the mathematics entry test. On the last day of registration, without much information on the options, as I browsed through the prospectus, I stumbled on Land Management, specifically Land Measuring, and I thought it was practical like engineering and so I registered.

I enjoyed land measuring, which was my introduction to land surveying. After one year, I got a National Certificate and then continued to a Diploma in Land Management 2003, and a BTech Land Management, specialisation Land Information Systems in 2006, subsequently. After finishing my undergraduate studies, I worked at Geo Business Solutions cc as a junior GIS consultant responsible for cadastral data capturing and updates. In February 2007, I started a new position at the National Planning Commission (Central Bureau of Statistics) as a GIS Data Analyst responsible for spatial data analysis, geodatabase management, Metadata creation and supervision.

I do enjoy school and building my knowledge in land information space especially as the information environment keeps evolving. In 2008, I applied and was awarded an Erasmus Mundus Lot 10 scholarship to further my studies at the Faculty of Geoinformation and Earth Observation Sciences (ITC), University of Twente, in the Netherlands where I graduated with a Master of Science in Governance and Spatial Information Management in March 2010. I worked in other private firms but in December 2010, I got a job at the Directorate of Survey and Mapping in the then Ministry of Land Reform as a Cartographer responsible for cartographic products quality control, georeferencing, mapping, and supervision. This was a game-changer as I was in the government space contributing to the decisions on land information systems. During my work at the directorate of Survey and Mapping, I was involved in the Coastal Sensitivity Mapping and Electoral Mapping projects. Both projects were important for their use of geographical information systems in managing resources and decision-making processes.

However, the pull to be a teacher was strong and in July 2014 I started work as a lecturer of land administration at NUST responsible for courses such as land policies and institutions, land tenure management, Governance and Spatial information Management and later coordination of Work Integrated Learning. I found teaching interesting as I can relate my work experience to my lessons. I also needed to be an expert in my field. I decided to apply for a PhD to help meet that dream, for my students, my colleagues, and most especially for me. I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Spatial Science with NUST with sponsorship from DAAD under the NELGA program. The scholarship experience is overwhelming, always meeting and interacting with people from different backgrounds and exchanging knowledge. Through this scholarship, I got an opportunity to attend a summer school in Frankfurt, Germany in 2018, after which I was taken up as an assistant tutor from 2019 to date. My research interests are public sector geoinformation management, land tenure management and governance.

At the beginning of my scholarship, I had little knowledge of research, I struggled a lot in conceptualising ideas, however, due to many events organised under the DAAD/NELGA scholarship programme, my understanding of many general land administration concepts has improved.

It has not been easy combining my academic aspirations and my being a mum of four beautiful children. However, I enjoy the challenges that comes with providing for them and meeting my academic needs. I count myself blessed and cherish all the experiences and opportunities.

After the completion of my study, I would like to start a programme to train young Namibians in research methodologies as we lack local capacity in this area. It is believed that decision-makers do not read journal articles but the information I get, I try to pass on in my classes and in the form of opinion pieces in the local newspapers as it can reach the local community in different capacities. I also want to see the improvement, implementation and use of spatial data in decision making at the lower levels of public administration.

1. https://www.namibian.com.na/6215611/archive-read/Geospatial-Data-Sharing-Crucial-for-Digital-Transformation
2. https://www.namibian.com.na/188867/archive-read/Towards-a-Spatially-Enabled-Namibia

Martie Mushaukwa is a 2017 NELGA-DAAD Scholarship Alum with the Namibia University of Science and Technology. In his words, he shares his story on how NELGA’s support helped achieve his career goals.

I was born in the northeast part of Namibia in the Zambezi Region, in a small settlement known as Lusese, where I grew up with my brothers and sisters, raised by my father and stepmother. As a child, I only wished to be a better person which was supported by my father and his push for his kids to get a better education and succeed through hard work. At a young age, all I knew was to pass my classes, courses or exams. I could not understand how others failed class tests or homework that is until I got to high school, where my activeness in social life became more meaningful.

After completing high school, I was not sure what I wanted to study. I ended up enrolling for a degree in education at the University of Namibia.  Within a short period of time, I realized that the career path I was about to take was not what I had imagined. I decided not to enrol in any field of study and devoted the whole year to getting better career guidance. The following year I settled for a career in real estate. This led to my enrollment for a Diploma in Land Valuation and Estate Management at The Polytechnic of Namibia (now transformed into Namibia University of Science and Technology, NUST). In 2013, I decided to further my studies by pursuing a Bachelor of Property Studies (Honours) at the same university. Upon graduation, I decided to further my studies in my field and In 2017, I was awarded a DAAD Scholarship through the NELGA programme to further my studies toward a Master of Spatial Science at NUST.

My experience with DAAD and NELGA was great. It enhanced my professional career, in the sense that after I obtained my master’s degree, I became more attractive as a job candidate and more knowledgeable in my field of specialization. I am thankful to the DAAD and NELGA for the scholarship as it has made my education and career goals easier to achieve.  With this scholarship, I became a better researcher and analyst in my field of specialization. These endear me to my contemporaries in my field of work.

Since graduating, I have been working for an agricultural bank, where I am at the forefront of developing, implementing, and guiding the real estate valuation function within the organization, thus providing an overall framework for valuation approaches and practice. Hence, I have become one of the key leading professionals in the field of Real Estate, engaging in real estate matters and contributing to vital decision making at a high level.

Martie Mushaukwa is a 2017 NELGA-DAAD Scholarship Alum with the Namibia University of Science and Technology. In his words, he shares his story on how NELGA’s support helped achieve his career goals.

I was born in the northeast part of Namibia in the Zambezi Region, in a small settlement known as Lusese, where I grew up with my brothers and sisters, raised by my father and stepmother. As a child, I only wished to be a better person which was supported by my father and his push for his kids to get a better education and succeed through hard work. At a young age, all I knew was to pass my classes, courses or exams. I could not understand how others failed class tests or homework that is until I got to high school, where my activeness in social life became more meaningful.

After completing high school, I was not sure what I wanted to study. I ended up enrolling for a degree in education at the University of Namibia.  Within a short period of time, I realized that the career path I was about to take was not what I had imagined. I decided not to enrol in any field of study and devoted the whole year to getting better career guidance. The following year I settled for a career in real estate. This led to my enrollment for a Diploma in Land Valuation and Estate Management at The Polytechnic of Namibia (now transformed into Namibia University of Science and Technology, NUST). In 2013, I decided to further my studies by pursuing a Bachelor of Property Studies (Honours) at the same university. Upon graduation, I decided to further my studies in my field and In 2017, I was awarded a DAAD Scholarship through the NELGA programme to further my studies toward a Master of Spatial Science at NUST.

My experience with DAAD and NELGA was great. It enhanced my professional career, in the sense that after I obtained my master’s degree, I became more attractive as a job candidate and more knowledgeable in my field of specialization. I am thankful to the DAAD and NELGA for the scholarship as it has made my education and career goals easier to achieve.  With this scholarship, I became a better researcher and analyst in my field of specialization. These endear me to my contemporaries in my field of work.

Since graduating, I have been working for an agricultural bank, where I am at the forefront of developing, implementing, and guiding the real estate valuation function within the organization, thus providing an overall framework for valuation approaches and practice. Hence, I have become one of the key leading professionals in the field of Real Estate, engaging in real estate matters and contributing to vital decision making at a high level.

The course aims to address land governance peculiarities in the region for social development

In 2021, twenty-two students from across Africa made history as the first set of people to be enrolled in the new Master’s Degree program on Land Governance and Territorial Management at Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis (UGB ) in Senegal. The Master’s program introduced with the help of NELGA provides a platform to develop adequate human and technical capacities to support the development and implementation of land policies in Africa. The students are subject to an interactive and interdisciplinary pedagogy regime with continuous personal follow-up of the Masters’ leaders.

Prof Ibrahim Diallo, Coordinator of NELGA Francophone West Africa and Professor of Public Law at UGB expressed his delight at the new academic program welcomed by the

academic and professional world at the sub-regional and continental levels. The course considers the region’s peculiarities and the AU endorsed Guidelines for the Development of  Curricula on Land Governance in Africa, “West Africa’s diversity in terms of language, colonial history, political regimes and stages of economic development has resulted in pluralistic land tenure regimes. The Master’s program attempts to address such land governance issues in West Africa and offers vocational education, articulating theoretical and practical training in land governance and land management,” articulates Prof. Diallo.

The academic program provides NELGA-DAAD scholarships to the enrolled student. It ends with a mandatory internship that concretizes the orientation of the master towards professional practice with practical experiences on topics such as land systems, land legislation, domains, spatial planning, land market, land information systems, territorial cooperation and planning, environment and climate change, impact studies, land conflicts and others. The program prepares students for the employment market post-graduation as the internship facilitates the positioning and placement of young people in the public or private sector. “This academic program is an asset to the region and the continent as it integrates a review of the past and possibilities for the future by investing in the young people of today with key knowledge useful for the economic and social development of the continent,” explains Prof. Diallo.

Land governance stakeholders in Dakar will meet policymakers to discuss reforms needed in the land sector based on current trends in the country. The meeting on May 12 to 14, 2022, is convened by the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), a Francophone West Africa node that Gaston Berger University hosts. It is a follow-up meeting to a sensitization workshop held in October 2020 and calls for land reforms that promote local governance and territorial development.

The 2020 workshop initiated a dialogue between policymakers and academics on the challenges of land governance and the revival of land reform in Senegal, especially in promoting local governance and territorial development through the creation of the High Council of Territorial Communities and the recognition of new rights to citizens. These new rights coincided with the recent expansion of the powers of the National Assembly to monitor government action and evaluate public policies. At the end of the 2020 workshop, critical land governance issues that concern parliamentarians were identified, including policy and legal actions to address climate change, large-scale agricultural investments, and land conflicts. Similarly, commitments were made by the Network of Parliamentarians for the Environment in Senegal (REPES) to advocate in parliament to revive land reform processes. The meeting designed a roadmap in respect of the commitments made at the workshop.

This 2022 sensitization meeting aims to follow up on the road map and commitments made by the parliamentarians, especially in the face of the emerging issues faced by the land space since 2020. Such as the amendments to Decree 72-12 88, the Orientation Law on Sustainable Development of Territories (LOADT), and an increase in the development of land projects in Senegal as these laws and processes impact citizens’ rights to property, resources and freedoms. The 2-day workshop will feature participants from NELGA-UGB academics, REPES members, HCCT members, local elected officials, civil society, the private sector and parliamentarians. The meeting is expected to conclude with the design of a new road map to identify the next series of actions towards land governance in Senegal.

Find the concept note below.

French-speaking African countries are carrying out major development projects such as hydroelectric schemes, various communication and energy structures and other structures for their citizens’ benefit. To carry out these projects, many states need land. This is done through various mechanisms, including expropriation where necessary. However, these lands come at a price as states are sometimes forced to evict families living in the coveted areas.

The Africa Land Policy Centre (ALPC), through NELGA, held a knowledge exchange Webinar on compensation mechanisms in Central Africa, especially Cameroon, on privately owned land taken by the government for the benefit of public use. The Webinar held on March 30, 2022, explored land expropriation and compensation mechanisms. The Webinar was hosted by NELGA Central Africa node with the support GIZ’s Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) program. It featured Prof Paul Tchawa, Commissioner Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection, Cameroon as its key speaker. Joan Kagwanja, Chief of ALPC, at the Webinar explained that the Central Africa region is a resource-rich investment area for Africa, especially in the regional integration of trade and investments. She emphasised the importance of exploring diverse large-scale land-based investment partnerships (LSLBI) before government expropriation, especially in line with the African Union principles and guidelines as endorsed by the AUC.

Prof Tchawa and the ensuing discussion called for participatory and applied solutions toward integrated development that leaves no one behind. They also called for stakeholders to learn from good practices as key to improving compensation processes, especially in humanising the process through resettlement plans while not compromising development objectives.

From April 12 – 15, under the chairmanship of Prof. Tchawa, Coordinator of the NELGA network on land governance for Central Africa, and with the financial support of NELGA through DAAD, the University of Yaounde 1 launched several review topics on land tenure for its existing Master’s program on Land Governance at the school. Content and courses reviewed include, cartography, information system and remote sensing applied to the sustainable management of territories.

Nearly 30 experts were gathered from across Cameroon. They discussed and shared their experience to update the curriculum of the Master programme which was originally established in 2009 and not reviewed since.

The review process applied the “Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa” established by the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC). Through a preliminary analysis of the existing curriculum areas of improvement were identified, such as attention to the needs of marginalized groups, and preparing students to analyse conflicts related to land issues. The workshop produced a syllabus of the revised Master curriculum with descriptions of the modules, which will be used in the further progress to implement this updated curriculum.

Prof. Tchawa explained that it was timely and necessary to periodically review courses to ensure it aligns with current issues faced in the land space. He called on the participants to give their best in order to propose specialised content for the course on land management. The workshop documented the revised content for further review by management.

From April 12 – 15, under the chairmanship of Prof. Tchawa, Coordinator of the NELGA network on land governance for Central Africa, and with the financial support of NELGA through DAAD, the University of Yaounde 1 launched several review topics on land tenure for its existing Master’s program on Land Governance at the school. Content and courses reviewed include, cartography, information system and remote sensing applied to the sustainable management of territories.

Nearly 30 experts were gathered from across Cameroon. They discussed and shared their experience to update the curriculum of the Master programme which was originally established in 2009 and not reviewed since.

The review process applied the “Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa” established by the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC). Through a preliminary analysis of the existing curriculum areas of improvement were identified, such as attention to the needs of marginalized groups, and preparing students to analyse conflicts related to land issues. The workshop produced a syllabus of the revised Master curriculum with descriptions of the modules, which will be used in the further progress to implement this updated curriculum.

Prof. Tchawa explained that it was timely and necessary to periodically review courses to ensure it aligns with current issues faced in the land space. He called on the participants to give their best in order to propose specialised content for the course on land management. The workshop documented the revised content for further review by management.

NELGA Knowledge Exchange on Land Governance in Africa I Focus- Central Africa

Depuis quelques décennies déjà et ce, à la faveur de la pleine réalisation des objectifs de développement durable, des pays de l’Afrique francophone en général et le Cameroun en particulier se sont lancés dans la réalisation de grands projets (aménagements hydro-électriques, nouvelles villes, diverses infrastructures de communication et de transport d’énergie, etc.). Pour réaliser ces grands projets, les Etats ont besoin de terres. Pour les avoir, les Etats sont parfois obligés de procéder à l’éviction de familles qui occupent des espaces convoités ; ceci passe par divers mécanismes donnant lieu aux indemnisations et aux expropriations le cas échéant.  

S’il est vrai que les expropriations pour cause d’utilité publique et les indemnisations qui y sont connexes obéissent à des règles préétablies, leur application n’est pas aussi simple car elles sont susceptibles de redessiner les cartes sociales, d’impacter durablement et parfois négativement des vies et être de ce fait une source de tension et de conflits. Au regard de la pratique qui a cours dans nos différents Etats, quel diagnostic est-il possible de faire de l’ensemble du processus d’expropriation et d’indemnisation ? Quelles solutions si elles étaient appliquées pourraient permettre de rendre ce processus plus crédible dans un contexte où le développement de nos pays demeure impératif ?

Le présent exposé qui sera fait par le Professeur TCHAWA Paul nous aidera à explorer la question de fond en comble et d’analyser ensemble :

• Les différentes facettes de cette réalité dans les pays de l’Afrique francophone avec ses causes et ses conséquences ;
• Les solutions appliquées/envisageables dans un contexte de véritable développement intégré qui prend en compte tous les aspects y compris sociaux ;
• Les bonnes pratiques susceptibles d’améliorer la gouvernance du processus d’expropriations et d’indemnisations en contexte de grands projets ;
• Les pistes à cours et à long termes permettant d’humaniser ce processus (notamment à travers l’identification de (i) meilleurs modèles pour la réinstallation des familles déguerpis et de (ii) réforme de textes) tout en ne compromettant pas les objectifs de développement. 

Animé par le professeur Paul Tchawa avec le soutien de l’ALPC et de l’Université de Yaoundé 1, au Cameroun, le NEX fournit une plate-forme d’engagement pour discuter des défis auxquels sont confrontés les pays africains Français face à l’expropriation par l’état des terres sans possibilité d’indemnisation qui déclenche un conflit foncier. Le webinaire vise à identifier les bonnes pratiques et à discuter des solutions possibles pour le développement intégré parmi les parties prenantes et ainsi réduire ce genre d’appropriation.

Cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous pour vous inscrire à la webinaire

Lien: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqcu-gqjIiHNOKQzFI2x9OhPLxI5XPEzSF

Retrouvez ci-joint la note conceptuelle pour plus de détails.

Pour toute information ou demande de renseignements, veuillez contacter Bouopda Serge, serge.bouopda@giz.de ou Jennifer Aghaji, Jennifer.aghaji@un.org.

The Coordinator of the Paga Customary Land Secretariat in Ghana, Madam Belinda Dantera, has specified that the 2020 Land Act of Ghana makes it mandatory to give out information to the public on requested land transactions. She was unaware that access to information applied to land transactions until she attended NELGA’s sensitization workshop on the 2022 Land Act held on February 2^nd, 2022. The NELGA workshop organized by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with funding from the German Development Cooperation through the Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) programme brought together traditional authorities, coordinators and representatives of selected Customary Land Secretariats on a sensitization workshop on Ghana’s New Land Act (Act 1036) of 2020.

At the workshop, Prof. John Bugri, NELGA’s Project Coordinator for anglophone West Africa, called for a land governance system whereby everybody in the land governance space operates in a transparent and accountable manner to the benefit of the people they serve. This was mainly in reference to Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution and in consideration of the new law, which adds a new criminal dynamic for defaulters to its provisions. Prof.  Bugri urged coordinators of Customary Land Secretariats to keep quarterly records of land transactions in their jurisdictions and make these records accessible to their subjects to ensure accountability and transparency in land governance.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Elias Kuusaana of Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies emphasized that the 1992 constitution prescribes the framework for compulsory acquisition in Ghana. Still, the National land policy of 1999 requires that compulsory land acquisition is conducted with utmost circumspection. Amidst the persisting challenges, the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) has come to deal with mandatory acquisition and compensation problems.

The workshop created the much-needed awareness and education on the new land governance regime in the country and improved upon implementing the new land legislation. The participants were encouraged to step down the knowledge gained from the training to their colleagues. This will ensure improved land governance in the country that stands the chance of minimizing land disputes and litigations. Participants were drawn from the Northern, Northeast, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana.

To read the full report, click here.

Background

A major factor in achieving socio-economic development is a substantial land governance system that can deliver secured land rights to all segments of society. Unfortunately, having secured land rights is not the experience for many land rights holders in developing countries. In Ghana, many land rights holders and land users experience challenges accessing land. In cases where access is secured, protecting rights to the land remains a challenge. 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 spelt out in different land legislation, 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 granting 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 state can only grant approval for the type of use and registration of the land. The interlinkages between the functions of the state and those of traditional leaders make it necessary to coordinate 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 passing of the new Land Act, 2020, ACT 1036, is considered by many, as an opportunity to address the challenges in the land sector in Ghana. This is because the new legislation is believed to contain provisions that address many of the contemporary issues in the land sector and; attempt to establish the needed coordination between the state and the customary systems in promoting sound land governance practices. The passing of the new legislation is indeed a significant milestone in Ghana’s history of land governance. However, having good legislation alone is not enough.