Land tenure key to Africa’s progress

The Africa Land Policy Centre (formerly the Land Policy Initiative), in collaboration with partner organisations, held an international conference from November 14 to 17, in Addis Ababa. 

In line with the African Union ‘Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in Africa’, the multi-stakeholder dialogue platform was meant to contribute to knowledge generation and sharing, advocacy on land policy development, implementation and monitoring.

Themed ‘The Africa We Want: Achieving Socioeconomic Transformation Through Inclusive and Equitable Access to Land by the Youth’, the conference particularly focused on youth and how they can be mobilised to benefit from land.

AGRIBUSINESS

The meeting discussed new land policy issues and how they can be addressed. Inclusive land governance practices provide an opportunity for Africa to benefit from its demographic dividend.

They will help to increase the number of working age adults relative to youthful dependents through agricultural production and agribusiness. 

Further, holistic land policy practices can contribute to maximal use of land-based resources. Where large numbers of adults are engaged, livelihoods are secured and families able to invest sustainably.

This will lead to improvements in education, skills development, public health, economic growth, job creation and accountability.

Demographic dividend is not incidental. Rather, it is a consequence of inclusive and equitable policies and strategies pursued by nations.

Youth involvement in decision making and empowering them through access to land and other natural resources will unlock Africa’s economic potential and provide a pathway towards Agenda 2063. 

It is important, therefore, that policy makers and researchers discuss strategies for achieving socioeconomic transformation through inclusive and equitable access to land by youth, who constitute over 65 per cent of the continent’s population. 

YOUTH

It is commendable that the AU declared 2017 as the year of youth. This shows the commitment of member states to investing in young people. 

An examination of youth demographic in Africa portrays a generation that is dissatisfied and restless. 

They feel deprived of jobs and peripheral to high-level decision making. The high rates of migration to the North and radicalisation, to some extent, attest to this. 

While at independence youth were the principal agents of socioeconomic change in many nations, this role has shifted over the decades and despair and disillusionment have taken over.  
But youth can be given hope again to become agents of social and economic change. 

This can be done through a review of land policies to increase access as well as harnessing technology and innovation for securing land rights and increasing productivity.
These measures, coupled with transparent and sustainable investments, economic justice, climate change mitigation and environmental conservation are critical for Africa’s transformation. 
Land is a strategic resource in industrialisation.

TECHNOLOGY

The African Land Policy Centre has provided principles and guidelines for large scale land based investments.

Using these guidelines, African states can leverage the abundant natural resources to propel economic growth. Africa can take control over its resources and seize the opportunities provided by advances in technology to maximise its value from this capital. 

Land has been used as the foundation of economic development elsewhere in the world to boost food production. 

We can learn from them to increase production, investment and opportunities. 

Of equal importance is provision of holistic land governance curricula responsive to Africa’s unique history, ecology and socioeconomic needs. 

Emerging research shows gaps in the training of land professionals. There is an opportunity for professionals to be well-equipped to serve the needs of different sectors of society. 

One way of addressing the curricula gaps is to link institutions and industry.

Another route is to undertake regular research to provide relevant knowledge and skills.

The ‘Africa We Want’ conference has come at the right time for the continent.

Dr Hamdok is the deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) .email: [email protected]