A World Bank mission recently engaged with district and community land governance structures in Port Loko, Sierra Leone, to assess progress and challenges in the country's ongoing land administration reforms. The engagement was part of the World Bank's Implementation Support Mission for the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project (SLLAP). The mission aimed to support national efforts to strengthen land administration and improve the recording and registration of land rights.
The mission met with members of the District Multi-Stakeholder Platform (DMSP), who outlined their work in supporting land governance, community sensitization, and awareness of land laws and reforms. Discussions focused on the DMSP's engagement with communities and stakeholders to improve understanding of land rights and responsibilities under Sierra Leone's evolving land administration framework. The DMSP plays a crucial role in promoting land governance and community participation in land-related activities.
The World Bank mission subsequently traveled to Rogbere in Maforki Chiefdom, where it met with members of Village Land Committees and the Chiefdom Land Committee at the Paramount Chief's Barrah. The meeting was hosted by the Paramount Chief of Maforki Chiefdom, PC Bai Forki Fainka II. Community committee members shared their experiences in supporting land-related activities, including community participation in the recording, mapping, and registration of land rights.
The World Bank mission used the engagement to gather firsthand information on how land administration reforms are being implemented at the community level and how local structures are participating in the process. Village and Chiefdom Land Committees form part of the institutional structures supporting Sierra Leone's land administration reforms. The committees play a vital role in promoting land tenure security and modernizing land administration.
The Sierra Leone Land Administration Project, implemented with World Bank support, aims to establish an efficient and accessible land administration system while strengthening the legal and institutional framework governing land rights. The World Bank approved a $41.1 million International Development Association grant for the project in 2022. The project has made significant progress, including the establishment of District Land Commissions and community-level land committees in target districts.
The land administration reforms are anchored in the National Land Commission Act, 2022, and the Customary Land Rights Act, 2022. The National Land Commission is mandated to oversee land administration and establish and maintain a system for registering land titles across Sierra Leone. The reforms aim to improve systems for recording and registering land rights, thereby promoting land tenure security and reducing conflicts.
The Port Loko engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen land tenure security, modernize land administration, and improve systems for recording and registering land rights across Sierra Leone. The World Bank mission's engagement with local communities and stakeholders has provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in implementing land administration reforms. The mission's findings will inform future support for the reforms.
Key points
- The World Bank mission assessed progress and challenges in Sierra Leone's land administration reforms.
- The Sierra Leone Land Administration Project aims to establish an efficient and accessible land administration system.
- The land administration reforms are anchored in the National Land Commission Act, 2022, and the Customary Land Rights Act, 2022.
