In an effort to restructure the land administration system in Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning and National Land Commission, with support from the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project has initiated a nationwide stakeholders consultative engagement. These sessions aim to engage communities across the country in reviewing and contributing to three significant draft laws: the Land Title Registration Act, the Land Title Adjudication Act, and the Surveys Act.
This extensive consultation process marks a crucial step toward fostering transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in land governance.
The consultations started in Port Loko, the north/west region of the country, where citizens, local chiefs, landowners, and community stakeholders, among others, gathered to discuss the implications of these new laws and how they might affect the future of land use in their communities.
Sonkita Conteh, the National Legal Consultant for the draft laws, in his address to the participants stated that the new laws are designed to establish a more organized, equitable, and legally sound approach to land management in Sierra Leone. He encouraged participants to voice their thoughts and concerns openly.
The session continued as government representatives, legal experts from the National Land Commission, and community members discussed various aspects of the proposed legislation.
In response to questions about enforcement, Conteh assured the gathering that once the laws were passed by Parliament, there would be mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. He acknowledged that, historically, weak enforcement had undermined land rights but emphasized the ministry’s commitment, with support from the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project, to address this issue comprehensively.
As the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, the National Land Commission, and the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project continue their journey across the country, each session brings them closer to realizing the goal of fair, inclusive, and sustainable land management in Sierra Leone.
The nationwide consultations are not only about drafting laws but about building trust and a shared commitment to protect the land for future generations.
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