ACCRA, October 6, 2025 — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD] has concluded a five-day Regional Learning Exchange of National Land Commissions from IGAD Member States in Accra, Ghana. The exchange brought together Directors and Commissioners from National Land Commissions and Ministries responsible for land from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia, alongside the IGAD Land Governance Programme team, to share experiences and learn from Ghana’s advanced land-administration systems.
The Learning Exchange was officially welcomed by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who commended IGAD’s efforts in convening Member States and underscored the importance of such platforms in driving inclusive, transparent, and harmonised land governance across Africa.
Speaking on behalf of the Director of IGAD Agriculture and Environment Division, Daher Elmi, Joselyn Bigirwa, Coordinator of the IGAD Land Governance Programme, expressed appreciation for Ghana’s leadership. “This visit has been an enriching experience for our delegation. We are glad to come to Ghana, one of the countries in Africa managing land with advanced knowledge and systems. We leave inspired to adapt these lessons to strengthen land governance back home.”
Throughout the week, delegates visited a range of key institutions that showcased Ghana’s coordinated approach to land governance. These included the Accra Technical University, where they learned how academic institutions equip future land professionals with technical and practical skills; the La Nkwantanang–Medina Municipal Assembly, where decentralised approaches are bringing land services closer to communities; and the Ghana Institution of Surveyors Secretariat, where they engaged with professionals advancing standards and accountability in surveying and mapping.
The delegation also toured community-level land service centres, known as Customary Land Secretariats,in Gbawe and Ngleshe Amanfrom, witnessing first-hand dispute-resolution mechanisms in action, as well as the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority [LUSPA] and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands [OASL] to gain insights into spatial planning reforms and equitable revenue distribution for community development.
The Exchange also included technical sessions at the Ghana Lands Commission, where participants reflected on lessons for their respective countries and discussed how to integrate modernised systems such as digitisation of land records and community participation into their national frameworks.
At the closing session, Dr. Wordsworth Odame Larbi, Chairman of the Ghana Lands Commission, called for continued collaboration across the continent “Find common solutions, invite all the rest of the African countries to come to Ghana. We also want to learn from you — about land administration, decision-making and more.”
This initiative, funded by Sweden under the IGAD Land Governance Programme, reaffirmed the importance of regional peer-to-peer learning to drive institutional reform and promote equitable, transparent, and sustainable land governance. IGAD continues to support successful pilots, innovative interventions with upscaling potential and increased knowledge and learning through capacity development for land related organisations
Participants departed Accra with renewed commitment to link learning outcomes to high levels policy development and implementation action plans and strengthen the capacity of institutions in to support inclusive land sector reform processes in the IGAD region.
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