Gaston Berger University

Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis is the second largest public University in Senegal. Officially created by law n°90-03 of January 2, 1990, it is located 13 kilometres from the city of Saint Louis, in the Senegal River basin, on the Mauritanian border. The University has a major research focus and interdisciplinary training. It has set itself the aim of providing high-level and quality education by placing excellence at the heart of its programme. Its training and research unit in legal and political sciences, particularly in its public law section where the NELGA AOF node is housed, is one of the pioneers in Francophone West Africa on land tenure training and research.

Through the NELGA concept, the UGB has set up a centre of excellence in land governance for francophone West Africa.

Our Result

Research 

The node promotes research and strengthens human and institutional capacities on land tenure. Its research centre produces and analyses data to transform land tenure policies in Francophone west Africa, taking into account subregional integration policies and information gathered from regional missions. The centre provides a library for research and space for exchange for post graduate students, researchers, and policy makers.

Capacity building 

Since its establishment, the node has strengthened the capacities of various actors through exchange and capacity building workshops. It has held several curricula review workshops in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Benin and Burkina Faso based on the guidelines for the development of curricula on land governance in Africa . Following the guidelines, UGB has introduced a Master’s degree in land governance and territory management. Furthermore, the node has delivered capacity building on land tenure in west Africa to parliamentarians and held a forum on land tenure and youth to bring more young people into the field of land governance.

Policy Reform 

The node has organised national policy dialogues with municipalities in Senegal, National Councils and other governance structures that focus on the revival of land reform in Senegal, the universal land registry project and the institutionalisation of land management tools; these have led to the establishment of the land observatory in the Senegal River Valley.