Category: News
NELGA is Delighted to Unveil its New Website
NELGA is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, www.nelga.uneca.org, which boasts an enhanced user experience and cutting-edge functionality. NELGA has wholly revamped its old website into a new, fully functional, responsive, and dynamic website with expanded functionality and accessibility, resulting in a more comprehensive and dynamic user experience.
The new platform is designed with the support of the German Development Cooperation and has the user in mind, boasting a sleek, contemporary appearance and intuitive navigation. With a focus on providing valuable information and resources, the website provides NELGA members and land stakeholders with a wealth of knowledge about the network’s activities, opportunities, research, engagement, and networking spaces.
In addition, the website’s functionality has been enhanced with a responsive design that optimises the user experience across all devices, improved search capabilities, and a streamlined subscription process that ensures visitors are always informed of the latest NELGA news.
Jennifer Aghaji, NELGA’s Communication Specialist, said, “Our objective was to design a visually appealing and user-friendly platform. We believe the new website achieves both goals. We have integrated various platforms into a single website and incorporated a knowledge management repository for land-related subject areas.”
The new website will enhance communication and accessibility with Africa’s land stakeholders and the general public.
NELGA Researchers in Southern Africa Master the Art of Scientific Writing
Scientific writing is important in the development of academia and academic institutions. It is a challenge for postgraduate students and lecturers (supervisors) to write scientific papers, especially for publication in high impact scientific journals. Academics and postgraduate students have found it difficult to develop their scientific writing skills to meet the publication requirements of high impact journals. Lecturers who supervise postgraduate candidates face the daunting task of transferring quality scientific writing skills to the students since writing at postgraduate level is complex. Therefore, strengthening the capacity of lecturers to transfer scientific writing skills effectively improves graduation rates and academic publications.
In an attempt to a Scientific Writers’ workshop was held back in October 2022 at Chaminuka Lodge and Nature Reserves in Lusaka, Zambia. The objectives of the workshop are as follows; i) Improve the quality of scientific writing skills. ii) Assist early researchers working on scientific papers to produce publishable papers. iii) Increase research collaboration among NELGA member Universities and iv) Strengthen research supervision and mentorship skills of academic staff supervising postgraduate students.
The Workshop was a collaboration among Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST), Network for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), University of Zambia, and sponsored by GIZ. The University of Zambia hosted the workshop, facilitated by four consultants: Professor Chigbu (Namibia), Professor Chakwizira (South Africa), Dr Pamela Duran Diaz (Germany), and Dr Chavunduka (Zimbabwe). The consultants led each of the sessions that focused on a specific aspect of scientific writing. The areas covered included: H-index and Social Impact factors in scientific academic publication; Strategies of scientific writing skills; Comparing different styles of scientific writing; Conducting effective literature review; Writing scientific articles; Publishing articles in high-ranking journals; Strategies of scientific writing skills; Comparing different styles of scientific writing; Tips on PhD Discourse.
Ten (10) PhD students and one (1) Masters Student registered at various universities also presented summaries of their research papers. Supervisors gave feedback to the students and identified areas of improvement. The main outputs of the workshop included the identification of the members of team to spearhead the development of a scientific writer’/supervisors’ manual. Secondly, the submission of abstracts from each of the participants as a contribution as a chapter a book that will be edited and published.
Land Stakeholders Chart Course on Land Transformation in Ghana
From the 6th to the 9th of December, land stakeholders in Ghana will convene at the 2022 National Land Conference to institutionalize a structured arrangement for multi-stakeholder participation in the transformation of the land sector in Ghana.
The conference was organised under the theme – Leveraging National Land Policy, Legislation and institutional Capacity Towards Sustainable Socio-Economic Development by the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources and COLANDEF with the support of the German Development Cooperation, NELGA and other partners.
The conference creates the platform to discuss policy options and experiences, present new research and scalable innovations, foster high-level support and ownership of interventions to tackle land governance, and empower and develop the capacities of the land sector stakeholders. The Conference will establish a multi-stakeholder platform that will monitor the implementation of the conference’s recommendations, including the implementation of Ghana’s new national land policy and provide support for improving land governance and land administration in the country on a sustainable basis.
Click here to read more about the conference.
Here’s How to Write a Good Research: NELGA to Host Workshop on Scientific Writing
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
From October 25-28, 2022, the University of Zambia (UNZA) workshop on effective scientific writing will strengthen researchers’ skills in good quality research writing on land in Africa.
The workshop, Â in partnership with NELGA Southern Africa hub at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) Department of Land and Property Sciences, invites lecturers and researchers to its UNZA-hosted Writers Workshop in Lusaka, Zambia.
The workshop is expected to influence the scientific writing skills of researchers, including Master’s and PhD candidates at NELGA member universities in the Southern African region while enhancing research collaboration.
Researchers will find inspiration from leading experts and writers on practical writing skills, especially in creating effective research communication bridges and visibility, as they build skills on H-Index, citation impact, and social impact factors in academia and focus on scientific publications. Participants will be expected to identify obstacles in transmitting quality scientific writing and submit draft research pieces for further engagement and publication.
The workshop is organised through the support of the German Development Cooperation’s (GIZ) Strengthening Advisory Capacity on Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) Program.
For more information, visit NUST Department of Land and Property Sciences
Windhoek 2022: NELGA Plans Strategy Meeting to Review its Research and Technical Agenda for Africa
As a partnership of over 70 higher institutions in Africa, NELGA contributes to the implementation of the AU Agenda on land through formal training and education, research and analysis, and monitoring and evaluation of land policy to address land-related challenges that hamper Africa’s transformation agenda for inclusive growth and broad-based development.
To ensure NELGA meets its mandate, the network will hold a planning and review meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, to identify and strengthen its methodologies and actions in meeting Agenda 2063. The meeting is from September 27 – 30, 2022 and is hosted by NELGA Southern Africa Node. It is the first physical internal meeting of NELGA and its core partners since the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting will provide a platform to plan, review and re-align the program’s priorities in meeting the AU Land Agenda.
This meeting is convened by the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) and will bring together the NELGA Nodes, ALPC and GIZ.
This meeting is convening with the objectives to:
- Review Progress of the 2021- 2022 Workplans to highlight Progress, draw Lessons and examine modalities to address challenges.
- Examine the 2022-2024 Work plans to explore potential areas of synergy and identify areas and modalities for collaboration.
- Explore opportunities arising from the ALPC Research and Technical assistance programme.
- Raise awareness of NELGA’s communication strategy and branding guides to enhance NELGA’s efforts on communication at internal and regional levels.
- Review the preliminary draft of the NELGA Strategy, Business Plan and MEF with a view-enhancing quality for finalization.
- Examine and provide feedback on the ToRs and proposed membership of the NELGA Technical Advisory Committee.
EAC Secretariat Capacity Enhanced to Address Land Governance Challenges
The African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) has enhanced the capacity of senior staff of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat to facilitate the integration of land governance issues in programmes, especially those of the productive sector. The capacity-building workshop on implementing the AU Declaration on Land was held on 16 -17 August 2022, in Kampala, Uganda, under the auspices of a joint ALPC-EAC project which was endorsed by the EAC Council of Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources Management.
Emphasising the cross-cutting nature of land, ALPC Coordinator, Ms Joan Kagwanja, applauded the EAC secretariat’s participation at the senior level in the workshop, noting that capacities gained to integrate land governance issues in programmes will significantly advance EAC interventions in support of achieving objectives related to agriculture and food security; environment and natural resources; tourism and wildlife management; energy, infrastructural and industrial development; gender and women empowerment, among others. She further commended recent efforts and commitment to engage with the Partner States and establish a steering committee that will oversee the implementation of a road map, the first activity of which is the operationalisation of a platform for the exchange of knowledge and best practices among partner states. This is what is envisaged in the AU Declaration on Land.
This workshop draws on a recently validated capacity assessment study report conducted with the technical support of ALPC, which identified the need to enhance the capacity of the EAC Secretariat to better address land issues within EAC programmes. The assessment also noted a gap in knowledge platforms that would facilitate the exchange of best practices among Partner States, and identify emerging issues in order to design frameworks/mechanisms to address land issues, especially those that are transboundary in nature. The assessment also emphasised the role of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa in bridging these gaps. Capacity building modules touched on how to address land governance issues such as securing land rights for all land users, promoting responsible land based investments, preventing and addressing land and ethnic-based conflicts, improving women’s access to land/securing their land rights, and the central role of land use planning, effective land administration and information systems, the role of communication, among others.
EAC Premiers its Regional Platform on Land
Partner States of the East Africa Community (EAC) are resolute in ensuring the implementation of the African Union (AU) Declaration on land within their respective countries. The resolution follows the sharing of best practices by the EAC Partner States during the first Regional Platform meeting held on 17-18 August 2022 in Kampala, Uganda. The platform provides EAC Partner States with an opportunity to share country lessons and best practices in land policy formulation, implementation and review to inform land reform processes in their respective countries.
“The Regional Platform is the first of its kind in the EAC and is expected to generate discussions and knowledge which will be helpful to all EAC Partner Statesâ€, explains the EAC Secretariat Director of Productive Services Jean Baptiste Havugimana. The forum discussions, he went on to explain, help to promote sustainable development and the rational utilisation of the region’s natural resources.
Joan Kagwanja, the Coordinator of the African Land Policy Centre at the Economic Commission for Africa, applauded the EAC for putting in place a Regional Steering Committee and establishing the Regional Platform, which provides a sustainable mechanism for bringing the Partner States together for the periodic sharing of lessons and dissemination of best practices in land policy formulation and implementation. She noted that land governance issues are cross-cutting within the region and reiterated the need to improve land governance in East Africa to achieve the EAC Vision 2050.
To facilitate the first Regional Platform ALPC provided technical support for a regional assessment to determine the status of land policy development in EAC Partner States. The assessment identified priority and emerging issues, along with the best practices in each of the Partner States, identifying the need for the establishment of a regional platform to facilitate the sharing of lessons and best practices. The participants appreciate the role of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa, especially the achievement of the Eastern Africa node and its universities in the land policy processes in Partner States; and the potential contribution of the network to the Regional Platform.
Government representatives from Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi shared best practices at the forum, including the inclusion of the land rights of women, youth and other vulnerable groups in the land policies, laws and practices of Partner States. The forum called for the EAC secretariat, with the support of ALPC, to enhance capacity building and resource mobilisation for land policy formulation, implementation and review within EAC Partner States.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Its purpose is to lead and coordinate the implementation of the AU Agenda on Land
Land Experts Validates Initiative to Advance the NELGA Project
Stakeholders in land governance have endorsed the process of establishing a five-year strategic plan (2023–2027) for the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA). The validation session on Zoom on August 11th, 2022, highlighted the road map for implementing the strategic plan to drive NELGA’s operations and ensure sustainability.
Joan Kagwanja, the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) coordinator, UNECA, noted that NELGA’s accomplishments are indeed significant. We must build on these accomplishments and ensure clarity in administrative and programmatic actions within the network. She encouraged stakeholders to continue to support the expert team in developing the NELGA road map in developing systems that intersect and influence land policy formulation and implementation.
The gaps and challenges identified in terms of the strategic destination of NELGA will be addressed in the NELGA Strategy & Business Plan 2023- 2027, Communication and Visibility Strategy, Monitoring & Evaluation Framework 2023-2027 & Resource mobilisation strategy, which are set to be validated in 2022. Stakeholders at the meeting include NELGA coordinators, the ALPC, GIZ African Union Strengthening Advisory Capacity for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) Program, and other land governance experts.
Technical Experts in Africa Hold Planning Meeting on Land Governance in Africa
Land governance specialists design 2020-2021 work plans in the face of Covid Crisis
Virtual, 16 September 2020 –The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) and its regional and technical nodes met virtually on Wednesday, 16 September 2020, under the coordination of the African Land Policy Center (ALPC), to review the progress made regarding the 2020 work plans, to appraise NELGA secretariat work plan for 2020-2021 and encourage coordinated efforts to meet African Union agenda on land.
The technical planning meeting is part of the continental programme comprised by ALPC, NELGA, and GIZ, which includes land governance technical experts, academics, , and government stakeholders, tasked to provide academic support and oversight, research data and reports, and policies recommendation to influence land governance and reforms in Africa. The planning meeting is an event that brings together NELGA stakeholders to look at the experience of the past months of working together, identify lessons learned, and tag areas for the next steps.
The meeting was opened by the Chief of the African Land Policy Centre, Dr. Joan Kagwanja, and co-chaired by the GIZs Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance, Head of Program, Ms. Anita Hernig.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Kagwanja stated, “The planning meeting provides additional insight and information which helps NELGA secretariat and ALPC develop actions to advance practical steps towards moving the dial on policy changes in land administration in Africa. Ultimately it needs to get there. Besides the usual focused discussions on what we have done in the different areas of land governance work and exchanges, I am looking forward to building more synergy to meet set goals.”
The meeting celebrated the successful establishment of the NELGA secretariat and the onboarding of its multi-nationality pioneer staff in the height of the Covid Crisis. “It is expected that with the full recruitment of the secretariat team, this will enhance communication, coordination, and collaboration within the Network at the continental level,” explain Dr. Kagwanja.
The NELGA secretariat will improve the coordination, knowledge generation and dissemination of the network’s activities jointly with NELGA Institutions across the continent through its regional nodes. These activities include training for NELGA students, implementation of the NELGA scholarship programme, advocating and facilitating delivery of trainings for scholars and policy makers in the region; and work with the RegRECs and other regional/national stakeholders to generate data. Working through the regional nodes, the secretariat will coordinate regional activities involving NELGA member institutions, linking them to other NELGA regional networks for joint activities, knowledge sharing and partnership building.
The planning meeting also discussed the regional work plans from North Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and Anglophone and Francophone West Africa, including reports from technical partners. The meeting provided an opportunity to showcase the network results through collaborative research, scholarships programs and knowledge exchange, review the comprehensive and harmonized workplans, introduce new partnerships, opportunities and sustainability strategies, to meeting the African Union’s commitment to improving land policies in Africa for 2020-2021.
Following the meeting, the participants agreed that the network had introduced innovative methods in response to Covid-19. It is essential to consolidate these lessons, especially for how the academic institutions have introduced digital platforms to foster e-learning on land governance. This and other lessons learnt will be found on the NELGA Website homepage in the coming months.
The event brought together diverse representatives of regional stakeholders from Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Germany.
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NOTE TO EDITORS:
The African Land Policy Centre (ALPC), formerly called the Land Policy Initiative (LPI), is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) , and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its purpose is to enable the use of land to lend impetus to the process of African development. The programme is governed by a Steering Committee that meets periodically, while a joint secretariat implements day to day activities.
To strengthen human and institutional capacities for implementing the AU agenda on land, ALPC established the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA). NELGA is a partnership of leading African universities and research institutions with proven leadership in education, training, and research on land governance. Currently, NELGA has more than 50 partner institutions across Africa. NELGA aims to: enhance training opportunities and curricula on land governance in Africa; promote demand driven research on land policy issues; connect scholars and researchers across Africa through academic networks; and create data and information for monitoring and evaluation on land policy reforms.
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa Launches its Continental Secretariat in Ethiopia
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) has launched its continental secretariat, which aims to, among other things, strengthen the steering and management of NELGA’s activities on the continent. It is expected that with the establishment of the secretariat, the network will enhance its communication, coordination, and collaboration efforts to build on established results, foster an enabling environment to influence land policy frameworks through research, policy dialogues, and capacity building.
The secretariat, situated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, serves as the administrative hub for all NELGA actions. The secretariat will work through NELGA regional nodes in East Africa, South Africa, Central Africa, North Africa, and West Africa (Francophone and Anglophone) to meet the needs of its network and deliver on its goal under the general coordination of the African Land Policy Center at UNECA and support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Since 2015, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) signed a Declaration to establish NELGA, a partnership of leading African universities and research institutions, to strengthen human and institutional capacities to implement the African Union agenda on land. NELGA instituted regional hubs across Africa to meet these goals. The establishment of the secretariat is one of the essential steps to improve coordination within the nodes and meet the AU agenda on land
NELGA is a partnership of more than 70 African universities and research institutions with proven leadership and track record in education, training, and research on land governance. Its primary purpose is to enhance the role of African universities and research institutions in supporting land policy development, implementation, and monitoring.
Due to the Covid crisis, members of the secretariat are working remotely now.
To read more about NELGA and funding opportunities, click here.