Expertise Area: Legal Advice Expert
Nathaniel Ovabor
Nathaniel Ovabor is a governance, land rights, and policy & law expert with extensive experience in anti-corruption, transparency, and public sector accountability. He is a legal practitioner and prosecutor with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he provides legal advisory support on governance reforms, institutional transparency, and compliance mechanisms.
His expertise spans land governance, digital cadastre systems, and the protection of land and property rights, with a strong focus on evidence-based policymaking and the use of data, digital tools, and institutional monitoring frameworks to improve public administration outcomes. He has worked on strengthening Anti-Corruption Transparency Units (ACTUs) across government institutions through data-driven monitoring and evaluation.
Nathaniel holds a Master’s degree in International Law and has specialized training in digital forensics, government analytics, and behavioral insights. He has contributed to national and international policy discussions aligned with global and regional agendas, including the SDGs and African Union governance frameworks. His work emphasizes legal empowerment, transparency, and sustainable land governance to promote inclusive development and public trust in institutions.
Daniel Behailu
Daniel Behailu, PhD, is a senior land governance & policy adviser and component manager at GIZ Ethiopia, as well as a former associate professor of law. He specializes in a broad spectrum of land governance topics, with expertise in drafting and advising on land law and policy, land consolidation regulations, community land rights, land and climate change, land and investment, and women’s land rights.
Dr. Behailu has extensive experience in research, teaching, and policy advising for both international development organizations and governments, making him a recognized authority in the field. He has played a pivotal role in drafting land legislation and policy frameworks, with a strong emphasis on equity, gender, climate, and sustainability.
In addition to his core focus areas, Dr. Behailu has contributed significantly to the understanding of land issues among Indigenous communities, the relationship between land and the rule of law, land-related conflicts, land-based corruption, and informal land transactions. His interdisciplinary work also encompasses agricultural, environmental, water, and forest laws, demonstrating a comprehensive and context-sensitive approach to addressing complex land governance challenges.
Abebaw Abebe Belay
Abebaw Abebe has over a decade of experience in land governance, serving as a land law expert and team coordinator, contributing to law drafting, leading research on land governance and women’s land rights, and actively engaging in land policy platforms.
Federica Acquaviva
Currently working as UN Habitat’s Inclusive Land Governance Expert for strengthen regulatory frameworks and building digital LIS in Somalia.
Adv. Matseliso Mota
I am a Legal practitioner with over a decade’s experience in the public sector and civil society in Lesotho. I am currently in the employ of Land Administration Authority, delivering legal and policy advisory services in land governance and administration, legislative drafting, regulatory compliance, dispute resolution and land tenure reform.
Safiatu ALABI
More than 15 years working on land dispute résolution in displacement areas with Norwegian Refugees Council. (Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, CAR and Cameroun)
5 years working on women land issue with USAID. (Côte d’Ivoire)
Currently consultant with GIZ on inclusive land securing targeting private sector.
Habtamu Semahagne
I am an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University’s Institute of Land Administration with advanced degrees in law, land policy, and resource management. I research and publish on land governance, rights, federalism, migration, displacement, and women land rights.