Samuel Nguiffo, General Secretary, Center for Environment and Development, Cameroon, also had occasion to make a presentation on land deals during the break out session on investments on land of the African Development Forum Eight (ADF-VIII). He talked on the need to "Integrate Environmental Sustainability Conditions in Large-scale Land Deals".

Nguiffo made a quote that I will never forget when he said, "There is no free land in Africa". I agree. Land in Africa is either State/government, community or private. So wherever it is that an investment must take place in Africa, there is ownership, whether formally recorded or not. Even States/governments hold land in trust for their people hence have a duty to ensure that such land rights are used or conveyed in the best interests of their citizens. And in the seemingly vast open/idle land in parts of Africa, there will be communities who practice either shifting cultivation or pastoralism who may have wondered far off in search of arable land or suitable pasture. But they always return. Think about their anger when they do so only to find that such land may have been committed without their knowledge and permission. Think about how they feel and view the central or local government that may have been responsible for the passing over of their land rights without permission. It is true......there is no free land in Africa!

Nguiffo went on to point out that we all have a duty to ensure the sustainability of the land we use for future generations. He observed that in most African countries, there are little or no environmental standards at all to govern Large-Scale Land-Based Investments (LSLBI). Furthermore, any attempts to set such standards or conditions is viewed as "keeping away investors" from our countries.

I found myself at the United Nations Complex at Addis Ababa recently. Political leaders, government bureaucrats, sectoral experts, private sector investors, civil society bigwigs along with Africa’s development partners were here for the Eighth African Development Forum. I felt humbled as I witnessed Botswana’s retired President Festus Mogae sit through session after another. He chaired a session on large-scale land-based investments in Africa. Try and figure a retired African President patiently sitting out a whole two hours to coordinate presentations and plenary discussions in a packed hall. It’s the epitome of humility! Made me reflect upon Africa’s strong men who’ve had to flee their countries or die from violent internal revolutions as they played political hard ball. Yet here was their peer who served his term and passed on leadership to retire honourably. He now mingles freely and happily in international forums. And as the current Chairperson to the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, he continues to richly inform Africa’s development agenda. To transform Africa, such exemplary leadership will be necessary.

I was happy too to hear the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, address Africa during the forum. She did so with confidence. Zuma has divergent voices and interests within Africa to converge during her tenure. I hope the Commission will count great gains under her stewardship. As the first ever female to drive the AU Commission, Zuma should try and chart a legacy that’ll grow more female leaders for Africa. Her tenure heralds a good future for Africa’s women who’ve now come of age to demand equitable space at both national and continental level. More female leadership is good for the continent.

In an earlier blog (Land Policies in Africa should be inclusive and promote development), I mentioned that Eastern Africa, through the East African Community (EAC), needs to domesticate/mainstream the commitments of the African Union (AU) Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges (based on the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa) in order to share lessons and ensure a regional convergence in the implementation of land policies in Eastern Africa.

Workshop aligns well with objective 6 of the Continental Land Policy Initiative's Strategic Plan

The effective implementation of the AU Declaration in Africa will rely on national and regional technical capacity to drive implementation. In this regard, objective 6 of the Continental Land Policy Initiative's Five-year strategic plan identifies the ''enhancement of capacity and skills in support of land policy development and implementation if Africa" as a key element.

Land policies in Africa should mind the rights of the poor, women and youth

In the Eighth African Development Forum (ADF-VIII) held in Addis Abba on 23-25th October, large-scale land-based investments was the subject of discussion in one of the break out sessions Chaired by Ms Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, the African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture. The Commissioner defined land in broad terms to include natural resources, their ecosystems and the variety of services that they provide of life resources. Human requirements put pressure on the optimal use of land and natural resources, often occasioning conflict. Africa's land uses go beyond agriculture, she observed, to include mining, manufacturing, urbanization, tourism and infrastructure. These land uses usually call for heavy investments, often funded from foreign capital.

Land concessions for the extraction of minerals have for instance been widely given to foreign consortia which has at times caused tensions between local communities and mining companies. The use of land for energy production has also been driven by foreign investors and is often geared towards export rather than local production. This has raised tensions in countries that have to meet their internal food needs in situations where their is competition for land between the energy and the agricultural sectors.   The Commissioner observed that land is an important resource for the poor and therefore land policy reforms must address these issues extensively and land policies should balance the rights of users to include the poor, women, youth and other vulnerable groups.