The 5th ALIN Regional Conference; Advancing Community Land Rights in Africa

The Fifth Regional Conference of National Land Institutions, held from 14–16 October 2025 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, marked a milestone in Africa’s journey toward inclusive and equitable land governance. The event brought together over 500 participants, including high-level government officials, traditional land chiefs, NELGA members, development partners, and civil society representatives from across the continent.

The opening session was graced by Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed JuldehJalloh, alongside Johannes Behraus, Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy to Sierra Leone, and Raphael Frerking, GIZ Country Director for Sierra Leone and Liberia. Their presence underscored the growing political and development cooperation around securing community land rights and strengthening local governance structures.

Co-organized by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, in partnership with the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the African Land Policy Centre(ALPC), the conference served as a platform to exchange experiences, share best practices, and identify actionable pathways for improving land and forest tenure security—particularly for women and youth.

Through NELGA, under the Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) program implemented by GIZ and commissioned by BMZ, Africa continues to build stronger, more equitable land systems.

The conference reaffirmed that collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based dialogue remain central to advancing community land rights and ensuring that land governance contributes to peace, inclusion, and sustainable development across Africa.