Major reforms to Liberia's land administration system are set to take effect nationwide, as the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) intensifies efforts to streamline the management of public land across all 15 counties.
The LLA's Director for Administration, Sylvester Bundoo, made the disclosure in Gbarnga on December 18, 2025, following a day stakeholder engagement aimed at raising awareness of the new reforms among local authorities and community leaders.
Mr Bundoo said the nationwide outreach was designed to strengthen collaboration within the land sector and to ensure county-level institutions are better equipped to carry out their governance responsibilities.
He explained that the reforms were developed after extensive consultations with stakeholders and were intended to address long-standing confusion surrounding the acquisition and management of public land.
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The LLA Director stated that a central feature of the reforms is the introduction of interim guidelines for public land administration, including a new Temporary Occupancy Permit (TOP), which replaces the former squatter rights system.
According to him, under the previous arrangement, city mayors and township commissioners often issued overlapping or conflicting permissions, resulting in disputes and uncertainty, citing that the new guidelines clearly define both the process and the authority responsible.
He further mentioned that the LLA has also put in place procedures for converting legitimate tribal certificates issued before 10 October 2018 into formal land documentation, subject to strict verification, warning that any tribal certificates issued after that date have no legal standing and will not be recognised.
Additionally, Mr. Bundoo said another key reform is the centralisation of land dues production, with the LLA now the only statutory body authorised to issue land dues across the country. The move is aimed at curbing forgery and fraud.
He at the same time stated that land dues have already been produced for all 15 counties, while public awareness campaigns are ongoing to discourage the use of documents generated outside the official system.
Mr. Bundoo told the Daily Observer that the authority is also seeking to tackle the widespread problem of multiple sales of the same land parcel, which Mr Bundoo described as a major driver of land disputes.
He said a new functional land administration system has been established to prevent land from being sold to more than one person and to reduce future conflicts.
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Meetings with county officials and other stakeholders in Bong County, including the superintendent's office and city authorities, have received what Mr Bundoo described as an unexpectedly positive response.
He said local leaders expressed relief and support for the reforms, noting that clearer guidance and stronger engagement from the LLA had long been needed.
The reforms are expected to affect counties including Maryland, Bong, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Nimba and Margibi, as the LLA works towards a more transparent, coordinated and accountable land administration system nationwide.
