16 November, 2023 14:00-15:30 GMT | 15:00-16:30 CET

Land is not just geography; it's a tapestry of culture, heritage, and social relations. As custodians of ancestral will and ethos, traditional authorities in many African countries hold significant influence over this landscape. As economies grow and state and customary systems evolve, traditional leaders and their institutions find themselves navigating complex or uncertain governance arrangements in the face of burgeoning demands of land-based investments in their domains.

Our webinar took participants on a journey to multiple countries and contexts, through which we unpacked the complexities and opportunities that arise in asserting and defining the roles of traditional authorities in land-based investments, and navigating the contestations that can occur in investment contexts, exploring critical gender dimensions along the way.

There's a further twist to the tale. Enter the world of land information governance, a beacon of transparency in the vast landscape. It ensures that land rights are accessible, transparently recorded, and serves as a counterbalance, reducing unchecked power and championing community rights.

A mosaic of voices, from traditional leaders to community advocates and governance experts, guided us through this narrative.

Speakers

Nolundi Luwaya, Director of the Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC), University of Cape Town, South Africa (Moderator)

Dr. Mahmoud Solomon, Assistant Director of Survey and Mapping, Liberia Land Authority

Milton Kamara, Chairperson of the Landowners Committee, Kasseh Chiefdom, Sierra Leone

Nana Ama Yirrah, Founder and Director, COLANDEF

Benard Opaa, Deputy Director Natural Resources and Environment at the National Land Commission in Kenya