The Sierra Leone Land Administration Project (SLLAP) has collaborated with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, the National Land Commission, the National Council of Paramount Chiefs, and various Civil Society groups to establish Land Tribunals, Village Area Land Committees, Chiefdom Land Committees, and a Grievance Redress Committee in Kenema District.
The initiative aims to create a more efficient and transparent land administration system, addressing long-standing issues related to land disputes and management.
The formation of these committees and tribunals represents a crucial step in empowering local communities and improving governance in land-related matters.
As outlined by the National Land Commission Act of 2022, the Village Area Land Committees will consist of four (4) landowners, two (2) land users, the village or town chief, and the section chief.
Meanwhile, the Chiefdom Land Committees will be comprised of two representatives — one landowner and one land user — from each section within the chiefdom, along with the paramount chief.
At the chiefdom level, the tribunals, which are a subset of the Chiefdom Land Committees, will include three representatives.
The Grievance Redress Committee will play a vital role in addressing disputes emanating from the land reform implementation, and is comprised of a diverse group that includes the paramount chief, local court chairman, local court clerk, a National Land Commission dispute resolution officer, gender officers from both the city and district councils, representative from the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), representatives from civil society, as well as local religious leaders such as an imam and a pastor.
Notably, all committees are mandated to ensure that at least 30% of their members are women, promoting gender equality in land management.
On the same day, an orientation and training session was conducted by the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project, Mr. Saiku Bah, focused on equipping the newly formed land committees and tribunals with the skills necessary for effective data collection. Participants were taught on how to gather comprehensive village profiles and document the memberships of the land committees and tribunals. This data collection effort will utilize the KoboCollect mobile digital data collection system, enabling real-time data entry and analysis.
“Today’s training is vital for laying the groundwork for our land administration system,” said the M&E Specialist. “By using digital tools, we aim to streamline the process and ensure that data is accurate and readily available for decision-making.”
Local leaders and community members expressed optimism about the new structures. “These committees will empower us to resolve our land issues amicably and transparently,” said a representative from the National Council of Paramount Chiefs. “We hope this will lead to a fairer distribution of land and better community relations.”
The establishment of these committees and tribunals is part of a broader effort to reform land administration practices in Sierra Leone, fostering sustainable development and social equity.
Credit: Media and Public Relations Office, SLLAP
