Why We Must Fix The Relationship Between Land Tenure and African Economy.

Last time we talked about the relationship between the tenureless and the economic performance of Afrikan countries. The social and economic benefits of solving the tenureless far outweigh the costs of ignoring this dire phenomenon. Ideally, improving access to land and land rights will result in greater investment into land resources which make up the backbone of African industry and therefore lifting millions of people from poverty. Here are some of the measures that can be taken. Enjoy.

Enforcement of fair rule of law to eliminate land corruption will result in indiscriminate and equitable access to land. This affords everyone the opportunity to produce and gain from land. It will also protect the poor from atrocities such as land grabs and curb the creation of land barons.

Comprehensive land records achieved by digitisation enable authorities to study land management more effectively. It enables informed decision making in land distribution, zoning and valuation. The creation of digital cadastres, land registries or collectively referred to as land information management systems empowers citizens to protect their land rights by having clear and verifiable records on ownership and possession.

Increasing awareness on land matters for the public empowers them with the right tools for decision making to protect them from land crimes such as fraud when purchasing land. It also deters unjust authorities from abuse of land rights in scenarios such as electioneering. Breeding a culture of knowledge and education on land rights realises benefits in both business and individual ventures.

Amending customary tenure systems such that they protect communal land dwellers from unprocedural displacement goes a long way into insuring sustainable use of land by these communities. Fair access to land for women and orphans also needs to be improved in these systems. The positive result is guaranteed food security due to wiser use of land for farming and pasture.

Indirectly, the capacitation of resettled and small scale farmers will help reduce landlessness as many have ceded their land rights in exchange for money, cars and urban land. Some have been left landless. Therefore the productivity of their allocated land has also not realised. Provision of inputs, fair finance machines and education enables agricultural landowners to sustainably produce for the nation.