Addis Ababa — A high level ministerial dialogue under the theme, "Invest in Africa's Land to Catalyze Economic Growth and Prosperity" will take place on 26 March in Dakar, Senegal, during the 2017 edition of African Development Week.
Commenting on the event's theme, Joan Kagwanja who heads the Land Policy Initiative at ECA said good land governance is critical to the realization of an inclusive structural transformation of Africa's economies.
"Achieving Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 rely on Africa's ability to unlock the potential of its land to boost productivity and realize inclusive economic growth in order to alleviate poverty and eradicate hunger."
Good land governance is a basis for effective rural and urban land use planning to facilitate the growth of African cities in a manner that enhances rural-urban linkages. In the current global environment characterized by changing priorities, addressing challenges in the land sector requires reflection for home grown solutions, including increased domestic resources and effective partnerships with the private sector.
The good news is that many African governments are already at different stages of land policy and institutional reforms to improve land governance.
During the forum, the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) - brainchild of the joint AUC-ECA-AfDB partnership- will be launched to strengthen support for member states and coordinate efforts to implement commitments made at the level of the AU Summit and other policy organs.
The meeting will bring together 40 participants, including Ministers of finance, economic planning, land and agriculture, traditional authorities, and representatives of the private sector, civil society organizations, institutions of higher learning and development partners.
