Category: trainings
Soil is Spiritual, Land is Not Only About Economics
“Soil is spiritual, and land is not only about economics. When understanding land through the soil, it balances its economic and ecological value,” said Shumirai Guzha, an Agricultural Economist from Zimbabwe, during the sixth NELGA short course on the Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa. Guzha’s profound reflection encapsulated the core of discussions held during the course, which saw 75 land professionals from across Africa gather to enhance their knowledge and skills in land governance.
Hosted by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) and accredited by the University of the Western Cape, the course attracted 630 applications from 41 countries. After a competitive selection process, 94 participants were chosen, with 75 attending the five-day program. The curriculum included topics like land tenure, women’s land rights, urban and rural land administration, and the impact of the climate crisis on land governance.
Funded by GIZ and supported by the African Land Policy Centre, the course featured lectures from leading experts in African land and natural resource governance. Participants, nearly half of whom were women, engaged in deep discussions about decolonising land governance and the ongoing challenges of land grabbing.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Joan Kagwanja, Chief of the African Land Policy Centre, emphasized the course’s significant impact, highlighting the diverse representation from government, civil society, and the private sector, and its role in fostering a new generation of land governance professionals.
NELGA Staff Capacity Training Workshop on AI: Revolutionizing Land Governance and Education
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) successfully hosted its Staff Capacity Training Workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI) from June 5-6, 2024. Held in-person and virtually, this pioneering event brought together academic staff from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and affiliates from Anglophone West Africa to explore AI’s transformative potential in education and land governance.
Organized by the Centre for Settlements Studies and the Departments of Land Economy, Planning, and Geomatic Engineering, the workshop aimed to equip participants with the skills to integrate AI into teaching, research, and land management. The event emphasised the critical role of AI in enhancing personalised learning, advancing scholarly research, and streamlining administrative processes.
The training sessions, led by AI specialists, featured interactive discussions, case studies, and practical insights, enabling attendees to harness AI-driven solutions for efficient land data management and transparent governance. Participants also delved into the ethical considerations of AI, including issues of bias, privacy, and transparency, ensuring they are well-prepared to uphold ethical standards in their applications.
With 35 participants in attendance and additional virtual attendees, the workshop marked a significant step towards achieving the AU Agenda on Land.
Empowering Women: Webinar on Women’s Land Access Rights in North Africa
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA NA) organized a webinar focusing on “Women and land access rights in North Africa.” Held on March 28, 2024, the webinar aimed to shed light on the challenges and best practices surrounding women’s land rights in the region.
Throughout the event, leading experts from Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan shared their insights and experiences. Discussions covered various topics, including legal and social reforms, women’s empowerment, access to agricultural land, and the major constraints limiting women’s access to land.
Key highlights included Professor Abderrahim IDRAIS’s presentation on the challenges and opportunities of women’s access to land in Morocco and Professor Dina NAJIB’s insights into the policy framework for women’s access to land in Egypt.
The webinar attracted participants from public institutions, the private sector, civil society, universities, and international organizations. Attendees engaged in meaningful discussions and exchanged valuable perspectives on the various country’s contexts presented and on the socio-cultural, legal, institutional and financial challenges to women’s access to land in North Africa.
Overall, the webinar served as a platform for knowledge-sharing and collaboration, paving the way for future initiatives aimed at enhancing women’s land access rights in North Africa.
Strengthening Land Governance: Highlights from Uganda’s Capacity Development Workshop
In a bid to fortify Uganda’s land administration system and enhance sustainable development, key stakeholders convened for a Capacity Development workshop happened 29th January 2024 leading to a training of Master trainers that was conducted from February 12th to 23rd, 2024. Supported by Strengthening Advisories Capacity for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development (MLHUD) of Uganda, the workshop marked a significant step towards enhancing expertise and resources vital for effective land governance.
During the workshop, participants, including representatives from government bodies, academia, and development partners engaged in validating essential components such as capacity needs assessment, syllabi development, and criteria for selecting master trainers. Emphasising collaborative efforts, the initiative aimed to lay the foundation for a comprehensive strategy tailored to Uganda’s unique land sector needs.
A highlight of the capacity development strategy was the training of master trainers, tasked with cascading knowledge to district and sub-county levels. Focused on thematic areas such as land administration, physical planning, and conflict resolution, the training aimed to equip trainers with the necessary skills to drive transformative change in land governance across the country.
The SLGA program played a crucial role in supporting and facilitating the workshop and the training, further underscoring the commitment of local governance structures to effective land governance. This initiative underscores Uganda’s commitment to equitable resource allocation and sustainable development, positioning the land sector for enhanced effectiveness and resilience in the face of evolving challenges.
Bridging Gaps in Research Communication
NELGA concluded a Research Communication Workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from March 5th to 7th, 2024. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants, including academicians, researchers, policymakers, civil societies, and private sectors, to refine their skills in effectively communicating research findings.
The workshop aimed to enhance the visibility and accessibility of NELGA’s research endeavors. By employing the principles of Design Thinking (DT), the workshop facilitated collaborative engagements among researchers, the private sector, and the media. This approach addressed various challenges faced by stakeholders in accessing and comprehending research, ensuring that valuable insights could reach a wider audience.
Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in activities structured around the Empathize and Define Ideate Prototype, and Test and Reflect phases. These activities fostered collaborative idea generation, prototype development, and the presentation of communication materials and policy briefs. Participants demonstrated dedication in crafting tangible outputs, including engaging digital content and effective policy briefs.
Looking forward, NELGA anticipates the production of a series of policy briefs enriched by diverse perspectives. These briefs will be disseminated through NELGA channels and shared on different platforms. Additionally, participants will gain access to exclusive opportunities, including networking through the NELGA Alumni Network and potential funding opportunities like the NELGA Post Doc Fellowship.
The success of the Research Communication Workshop lays the groundwork for continued collaboration.
NELGA Central Africa: Methodological tools made available to young researchers working on land tenure issues
The 2024 edition of the Methodological Seminar for doctoral students working on land tenure issues was held at the University of Yaoundé 1 from 27 to 28 February 2024, at the initiative of the Central Africa node of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA).
The seminar aimed to train young researchers from Central African universities, particularly those enrolled in doctoral programmes, in the problematisation and construction of research subjects by introducing them to the understanding and handling of the most appropriate tools and techniques in their fields of specialisation, and to bring young researchers up to speed on the best practices and approaches for problematising research topics on the issue of the environment and sustainable development.
In addition to presenting NELGA Central Africa and its achievements, challenges and prospects, the two-day seminar focused on sharing knowledge and best practices on research methodology in social science (from a socio-anthropological and geographical perspective), in land law, the ethical implications of land law, the spatial dimension of land data with a focus on tools and methods, data processing and data collection tools, and localisation and exploitation of ressources .
The key suggestions emphasized the value of blending different types of information, like both qualitative and quantitative data, when conducting research. The significance of upholding ethical standards consistently throughout the research process has also been stressed. Additionally, students were urged to actively engage in or become part of established networks and communities of young researchers.
Closing the capacity gaps through young graduates in land governance
While there are many graduates finishing their academic programmes in the land sector, not all of them find entry level relevant positions. At the same time stakeholders in the public & private sector, as well as civil society and academia face issues in finding young professionals with the required skill set.
To bring attention to this issue and enable discussions on possible solution NELGA and the GIZ-AU programme “Strengthening Advisory Capacities on Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA) organized multistakeholder dialogues in Botswana and Senegal. The national and regional stakeholders discussed the issues at hand in the respective countries and worked on concrete actions that can be implemented within their own field.
Assessments of the situation in these two countries have been conducted to form the basis for the discussion. These assessments gave an overview of the situation of needed experts both in terms of numbers and qualifications, as well as the education and training opportunities offered by universities. The report can be accessed below.
During the multistakeholder dialogues challenges were identified and recommendations for the different stakeholder groups were formed. Despite societal, economic, historic, and geographical differences between the countries some areas of actions are similar.
- To reduce and close the gap between required skills by employers and the acquired knowledge and skills of universities graduates, stronger cooperation between these actors is required.
- Universities need to regularly review curricula with the involvement of employer organizations from the public and private sector, while at the same time opportunities to gain practical experience should be enabled and fostered.
- The government plays a key role in creating an enabling environment for all stakeholders from universities, local authorities, and the private sector.
For more detailed information on the recommendations and to read the full report of the assessments and the multistakeholder dialogue in Senegal, click here.
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.
NELGA Knowledge Exchange – Understanding the Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa
The African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) is a joint programme of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The ALPC is leading the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in Africa, which is anchored on the Framework and Guidelines on land policy in Africa (F&G.) It facilitates stakeholders in the land sector to achieve the continental aspirations that ‘equitable access to land, secure land tenure rights, gender equity, improved governance in the land sector and reduction of land-related conflicts’, are fundamental aspirations of the African people, as together, they pave the way to secure livelihoods and prosperity.
Over the last ten years, the ALPC remained committed to facilitating improved land policy terrain in Africa by working with partners to develop guidelines and frameworks to address emerging land-related challenges for the continent’s socio-economic growth. Through research, advocacy, capacity development, technical support and advisory services among others, the ALPC supports the AU Member states in meeting their development priority areas as captured in the Agenda 2063 and SDGs.
In meeting its mandate, the ALPC, in partnership with the Member States, CSOs, Academia and other stakeholders, has developed several tools at the continental level. Endorsed by the AU, these tools in the form of guidelines, frameworks and principles provide the necessary benchmark for land governance to thrive in Africa. To ensure these tools reach the intended users, the ALPC now plans to hold several virtual webinars under its NELGA Exchange Platform (NEX) to share the contents and experiences and progress in applying these tools. Among the tools lined up for dissemination are the AU-endorsed guidelines, including:
- Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa
- Guidelines on Land Ethnicity and Conflict in Africa
- Guiding Principles on Large Scale Land-based Investments in Africa
Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa
This edition of the next NELGA Exchange Platform (NEX) will focus on the Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa. Simultaneously, the other Guidelines will be covered in subsequent Webinars.
The Guidelines for Curricula Development on Land Governance in Africa are meant to facilitate the development and review of curricula to ensure that university graduates and land professionals are better skilled in addressing Africa’s land governance challenges. In particular, it is envisaged that the guidelines will contribute to land professionals being better trained to understand traditional land governance systems through which over 80% of Africa’s land is managed and the political dimensions of land governance that influence Africa’s ability to find solutions to underlying and emerging land governance issues. It is envisaged that the guidelines will offer insights for curricula that further equip students with knowledge of these issues as well as others outlined in the Guidelines.
The Webinar
The webinar is in response to Universities’, Institutions of Higher Learning and other stakeholders’ request to the ALPC to expound on the content of these guidelines and how best they could be mainstreamed in the curricula/research on land and related fields in Africa. The Webinar is open to all stakeholders interested in capacity development in the African land sector, particularly the researchers and scholars within universities/research institutions.
This edition of the NEX aims to provide an overview of the Curricula Guidelines and share experiences/progress in implementing similar actions.
Short Course Training Opportunity with PLAAS
We invite staff members or students of NELGA partner institutions to apply to a short course on the Political Economy of Land Governance organised by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) in collaboration with the African Land Policy Centre.