From July 9–11, 2025, IGAD hosted a Regional Dialogue with Women Parliamentarians and Duty Bearers on Gender, Land and Climate Resilience in Nairobi, Kenya.

This event brings together women parliamentarians, duty bearers, policymakers, and development partners from across IGAD Member States to tackle the interconnected challenges of gender inequality, insecure land rights, and climate vulnerability.

The dialogue builds on national consultations previously held in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. These consultations highlighted critical gaps in women’s access to land, their role in decision-making, and the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and rural communities.

Through the support of Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) program, IGAD was able to support these national and regional dialogues by providing technical expertise, fostering inclusive policy discussions, and promoting regional collaboration.

At the Nairobi meeting, participants are sharing lessons, identifying priority reforms, and generating actionable recommendations to strengthen gender-responsive land governance and climate adaptation. The outcomes will inform IGAD’s regional policy frameworks and Member States’ efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on gender equality, climate action, and sustainable land management.

SLGA has championed efforts to strengthen land administration, support inclusive land governance, and enhance community resilience—particularly for women and vulnerable groups. The Nairobi Dialogue is part of IGAD’s and SLGA ongoing initiative to align regional strategies, foster political will, and catalyse transformative actions that secure equitable land rights and sustainable climate responses.

The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) has reached another milestone in advancing land governance knowledge: over 180 of its publications are now accessible through the Land Portal’s open-access library.

These publications — including policy briefs, manuals, good practice reports, and in-depth research studies — represent years of collaboration between African universities, research institutions, and development partners. Together, they reflect NELGA’s mission to build evidence-based capacity for improved land policies and practices across the continent.

Since its launch, NELGA has worked to strengthen Africa’s human and institutional capacities for land governance, supporting training, research, data generation, and policy dialogue. This work has been made possible through the cooperation of the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC), African Union, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ, the World Bank, and other partners, implemented with the support of GIZ’s SLGA program.

As the SLGA program nears its close in early 2026, preserving and sharing the knowledge generated by NELGA is more important than ever. The integration of these publications into the Land Portal ensures that policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and advocates continue to benefit from open, long-term access to this critical knowledge.

Explore the full NELGA collection on the Land Portal Safeguarding knowledge: Over 180 NELGA publications now accessible via the Land Portal | Land Portal

The University of Douala, in collaboration with the NELGA Central Africa node, held a curriculum validation workshop in Kribi, Cameroon. The event marked a milestone in the reform and advancement of land governance education in the region.

The workshop brought together academic experts, university leaders, and land professionals to review and validate newly developed training modules focused on land governance and territorial management. These modules were developed in line with the African Union’s Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa and tailored to address the complex realities of Central Africa—particularly in urban and coastal contexts.

A major highlight of the workshop was the alignment of academic curricula with regional challenges such as rapid urbanisation, coastal vulnerability, climate change, and land-related conflict. The sessions emphasised inclusive approaches, including gender equality, youth engagement, and interdisciplinary learning.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to equip the next generation of land professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to ensure responsible, equitable, and sustainable land management in Africa.

The University of Douala’s leadership and commitment to educational reform is a promising step forward in addressing land governance challenges through targeted academic transformation.

Bishoftu, Ethiopia | June 21, 2025  

With support from the Strengthening Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) and Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Government of Ethiopia convened National Dialogue on Gender, Land, and Climate Resilience from 20–21 June 2025.

The two-day dialogue brought together women parliamentarians, policymakers, civil society, and technical experts to develop actionable strategies for gender-responsive land governance and climate action.

With opening remarks from IGAD’s Head of Mission to Ethiopia, Mr. Abebaw Bihonegn (on behalf of H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu), the event reaffirmed IGAD’s commitment to aligning national efforts with global and regional frameworks such as the SDGs and AU Agenda 2063. Speakers from Ethiopia’s Parliament, Ministry of Agriculture, and GIZ echoed the country’s drive to embed equity and resilience in land and climate policies.

Participants tackled challenges such as discriminatory land laws, limited women’s participation, and weak institutional coordination. They proposed stronger legal protections, increased funding, and inclusive planning to unlock women’s leadership in climate-smart land reform.

The event outcomes including a national policy brief will feed into IGAD’s Regional Dialogue in July.

From 02–04 June 2025, Morogoro, Tanzania hosted a three-day national consultation workshop aimed at aligning land governance with the country’s climate ambitions. The event, organised by Tanzania’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development in partnership with the Vice President’s Office, focused on reviewing the country’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC2.0) and laying the groundwork for the forthcoming NDC3.0 submission.

The workshop, supported by GIZ’s “Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA) programme, brought together government officials, academic experts, local consultants, and civil society representatives. Their joint mission: to evaluate existing gaps in NDC2.0 and ensure land governance issues are fully embedded in the updated climate framework.

By examining links between land use, tenure security, and climate adaptation, stakeholders developed targets, indicators, and action plans to inform NDC3.0. The process reflects Tanzania’s growing recognition of land governance as a key lever in achieving climate resilience and meeting obligations under the Paris Agreement and Rio Conventions.

SLGA’s support, including the engagement of national and regional consultants, underscores Germany’s ongoing partnership with African countries to enhance climate-smart land policy development. The outcomes of this workshop will also feed into regional and global dialogues, including the 2025 World Bank Land Conference.

From 3–4 June 2025, Banjul hosted a multi-stakeholder dialogue addressing a pressing issue in The Gambia: the employment prospects of graduates in the land governance sector. Organised by the GIZ–SLGA Programme in collaboration with the NELGA Anglophone West Africa Node, the two-day forum brought together representatives from academia, government, the private sector, and civil society to develop practical solutions for bridging the gap between higher education and the demands of the labour market.

Opening the event, Prof Herbert Robinson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, emphasised the institution’s contribution to the sector since 2010. “Land without capacity is useless,” he noted, underlining the importance of combining knowledge with practical skills to tackle Africa’s land challenges.

A recent labour market study, commissioned by GIZ-SLGA, was presented and discussed. The study revealed a misalignment between academic training and employer expectations, prompting calls for curriculum reform, stronger institutional linkages, and enhanced support for youth entrepreneurship.

Breakout sessions enabled different stakeholder groups to reflect on their roles and propose actionable recommendations at policy, institutional, and individual levels. Regional opportunities and good practices were also explored, contributing to the development of a roadmap for improved youth employability in the land sector.

This initiative marks a step towards aligning education with national development in The Gambia.

From May 13 to 15, 2025, Conakry, Guinea hosted sub-regional workshop on the sustainability of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) and the launch of its Alumni Network for Francophone West Africa. The event brought together university professors, rectors, students, magistrates, land reform experts, and focal points from eight countries in the region.

The gathering served as a space to reflect on the importance of land governance reforms, the role of academia, and the collective vision for NELGA’s future. Prof. Mohamed Moustapha Diop, NELGA’s focal point in Guinea, emphasized the need for inclusive dialogue and alignment with the African Union’s land policy frameworks. Prof. Ibrahima Diallo, Coordinator of NELGA West Africa, highlighted the network’s achievements in training, research, and policy support.

Mr. Aboubacar Camara, Secretary General of Guinea’s National Transitional Council (CNT), opened the workshop by reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting NELGA’s mission. He stressed the urgent need to address land insecurity, urban pressure, and land grabbing through coordinated reform efforts.

The workshop concluded with a strong call to connect academic research with policy demand, engage public and private actors, and include university leadership in continental-level decisions to ensure the network’s sustainability and relevance in shaping land governance in West Africa.