Niamey, 23 April 2014 (ECA) - Niger needs to better articulate the physical planning at national level and land use planning at the local level. The country must also strengthen the political will to address land-related issues, and ensure the participation of all institutional actors (public and private) in land management. These include the Parliament, local authorities, technical services, representatives of civil society, farmers' and women’s organizations, and representatives of the traditional leaders.
These are two recommendations identified by Niger land experts during the validation workshop of the Report on promising practices on land use planning for securing land rights for rural producers. The workshop was organized by the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) and the National Committee of the Rural Code of Niger, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), on 22 April 2014, in Niamey.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Seydou Oumarou, Director of Cabinet of the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture, said that land development, as a field of knowledge and intervention, is an essential component of public policies focusing on rural development. Thus, he added, the meeting discussions opened the way for major progress in land use planning in Niger.
The representative of SDC, Mr. Manuel Flury, said his organization has been involved "for more than twenty years in the implementation of the Rural Code in Niger, and still is." He noted that the study, rich in analysis and lessons, makes suggestions that will be used to improve land planning in Niger. Mr. Flury added that, on the basis of the review of the political, institutional, and implementation framework, the study offers a relevant approach to land development, and creates a new dynamic. The strength of the study is to propose initiatives at local level and in municipalities, where users land are active, and this "through participation of everyone, men, women, youth, and all disadvantaged groups."
The workshop was structured around a series of presentations and discussions, to examine the results of the study on experiences and good practices in land use planning, and made recommendations for finalizing the document. The LPI gave a presentation on the implementation of the African Union Declaration on Land, and the work programme of the Initiative.
Among the key messages and workshop recommendations was also the need to consolidate all laws relating to land and natural resources in order to have a more coherent reading and to facilitate their implementation. The experts also recommended further development of land use planning experiences in various regions.
More than 70 representatives of the public administration, the countries covered by the study (Burkina Faso and Tanzania), research organizations, organizations of farmers and pastoralists, and representatives of the scientific committee of the Rural Code in Niger attended the workshop.
The Land Policy Initiative is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its mandate is to facilitate the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in Africa.
Issued by:
ECA External Communications and Media Relations Section
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org
www.uneca.org