The government of Ghana through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources of Ghana has been assisting customary land authorities to strengthen customary land administration through the establishment customary land secretariats. The rationale for the support for customary land administration was to develop more effective and accountable systems of land administration at local level based on a collaborative approach and building on existing customary institutions.

Mainstreaming land use planning for tenure security in rural areas is a key issue to both scholars, academia and policymakers as well as governments in most developing countries. The need for local land use decision-making for enhancing tenure security as well as trade-offs for deliberative decision-making are crucial to improving local community needs, interests and concerns. Deliberative decision-making seeks to respond to local needs, interests and concerns with legitimate and acceptable social, cultural and institutional practices.

 Ethiopia follows a federal state administrative structure. Regional states are organized on ethnic basis. The country has over 85 ethnic groups and languages, but only majority ethnic groups, with few exceptions, have their own standalone regional states.The Constitution of the country categorizes land as a public property and gives land administration responsibilities to regional states. Although the Constitution confirms land access right to all citizens, regional states’ constitutions and land laws put restrictions to prioritize residents.

Insecurity over land ownership in Rwanda was a critical part of the tension between communities. Addressing insecurity around land has consequently been one of the foremost priorities of the post-conflict reforms initiated in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Rwanda set out to address the issue of land ownership and land-related challenges through passage of several laws and policies.

Contrary to scholarship that attaches matrilineal practices to women’s control and power over land in Africa. This paper interrogated this theoretical positioning to its contemporary practicality by posing the discussions among the ‘Luguru’ matrilineal of Eastern Tanzania. The article has discussed how land has been claimed, transferred, and owned across gender lens with the apparent changes in political and socio-cultural settings of the community. Shreds of evidence deduced from triangulated approaches provided contradictory conclusions.

ABSTRACTElectronic land titling in the field of land administration being a new concept of right registration on land and properties developed on it, is seen to be the future of a centric land administration in Rwanda. Rwanda is promoting a cashless economy and a full paperless land administration aiming at promoting the principle of “zero trip zero paper”.

Effectiveness Of Public Institutions In Addressing Illegal Acquisition Of State Land In Zambia: Case Of Ministry Of Lands And Kitwe Municipality

Context and backgroundColonial legacy and the continuous implementation of neoliberal policies have led to the creation of institutional pluralism in the planning of customary land in peri-urban areas in Ghana. During land commoditisation, peri-urban customary land planning regularly involves physical planning authorities, traditional authorities, and private surveyors. The community members are rarely involved in the planning of their communities, and the planning often leads to the eviction of the community members from their ancestral land.

The Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa endorsed through the adoption of the African Union Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges by the African Heads of States in 2009 is having “a strong gender component which aims at “strengthening security of land tenure for women which require special attention” and “ensuring that land laws provide for equitable access to land and related resources”.

ABSTRACTContext and backgroundAccess to and ownership of land are important for reducing discrimination.

Governability Of Customary Land Tenure Institutions: Insights From Odupongkpehe Customary Area In Ghana

In view of land’s vital importance as a foundation of societal livelihood and its position being at the heart of social and political interests and conflicts, increasing number of universities in Africa have been launching and expanding formal educational and research programs since the last two decades. The ongoing expansion of land governance educational and research programs are mainly driven by the need for the overall socio-economic development reforms at continental level in Africa.