At launch of platform: FAO reiterates commitment to ensuring responsible land governance.

This was during the official launching of the multi-stakeholder platform for consultation on major land tenure, state property and surveys issues for an inclusive, responsible and performant land governance in Cameroon. 

The two-day meeting, organised with support from FAO, was presided over by the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, MINDCAF, Henri Eyebe Ayissi. 

FAO officials said the general objective was to strengthen the inclusive process of drawing up the national land tenure and state property policy by ensuring the participation of all stakeholders in land management in the country. 

The representative of FAO in Cameroon, Oumar N'diaye, explained that land question has always been a very delicate one because it has often been a source of community tensions, social conflicts, wars between sovereign states, and of course loss of human life.

These problems, he said, made it imperative to advocate more responsible land governance. N'diaye expressed satisfaction that government has decided to adopt the approach in its land reform process.

He stated that at its request, Cameroon was included in the list of beneficiary countries of the ‘Improving land governance and reducing conflicts linked to cross-border transhumance’ transhumance project alongside Chad and the Central African Republic, CAR. 

N'diaye said drawing up a land policy in Cameroon is a complex process that requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that it is inclusive, participatory and exhaustive, and that it is effective, owned and legitimate. 

He recommended the inclusion of stakeholders from different backgrounds in the process to ensure that local realities, national and international issues are taken into account.

N'diaye said the ministry of land has published a roadmap setting out the process for preparing and validating the National Land Policy, with a view to ensuring that the process is inclusive.

N'diaye said he was convinced the process would yield fruits. He said the FAO has already implemented similar initiatives in Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso and they have enabled them to learn lessons, good practice which they drew inspiration from. 

"The FAO, through myself, would like to reiterate that this is the right path, because it leads to lasting results. One hundred and sixty-two countries around the world have also followed this path," N'diaye said. 

"The FAO's contribution will focus on capacity building with regard to the voluntary directives applicable to water and forests, and above all on sharing good practice. This initiative is part of a regional project that we are currently working on in Chad, the Central African Republic and Cameroon," N'diaye added. 

N'diaye also said that: "We've talked about the inclusive side of this platform, we've talked about regional consultations that should take into account the concerns, the needs and the interests of vulnerable groups".

Enter lands minister 

Speaking earlier during the solemn launch of the multi-stakeholder platform, Minister Henri Eyebe Ayissi said it was part of an ambitious process to continue to modernise the management of property, land and assets. 

This, he stressed, shall be done through the implementation of a vast programme to digitise the land register, and setting up a computerised network between the land registries at national level with a view to securing land transactions and developing economic activities. 

According to the minister, the main objective is to draw up the National Land and Property Policy Document, which will serve as a compass for defining the vision and broad guidelines for land governance in Cameroon. 

The member of the government added that by setting up this enlarged framework for consultation they are responding to a strong request and an imperative need of equipping citizens with tools for proper land tenure in Cameroon. 

According to Minister Eyebe Ayissi, the creation of this multi-stakeholder platform on land tenure meets a pressing need of promoting participatory, inclusive and sustainable land governance in Cameroon. 

Through this permanent dialogue mechanism, he said, the country is resolutely embarking on the road to coherent modernisation of land management. 

He stressed that it is imperative that it becomes a tool for fairness, transparency and efficiency in access to land, for all players in the land sector, and especially for large-scale producers, with a view to implementing second-generation agriculture. The minister also said that the platform will have to give its opinion on how land should be made available. 

"This Platform has been set up as a permanent, participatory forum for dialogue, with a view to exchanging views and formulating possible solutions to major issues relating to land, property matters," he said. 

"It will also be used to compile inputs to be taken into account in finalising the draft of the preliminary bill on the land and property regime in Cameroon, taking into account developments such as climate change, gender, spatial planning, decentralisation of land tenure, the issue of Cameroonians living abroad and those in the Diaspora, etc," the minister added.

He said government is working in conjunction with its development partners and all stakeholder groups to improve land governance in the best interests of all. 

On his part, the Head of the German Cooperation, Knut Gummert, said Germany is closely working to support the ministry on the development of a clear land governance tenure. 

Knut revealed that they believe land rights has the opportunity to provide farmers, entrepreneurs and the people what they need to develop their land and have access to finance and to develop this country in a social, economic way. 

"We are close partners with the ministry. We are providing capacity development to the ministry; we are supporting the organization. With regards to the development of the legal framework, this platform is so essential because it provides a process to include all the different players of the civil society, private sector, traditional authorities, everyone to raise their voice, provide their input on how this law and legal framework be developed for the better development of Cameroon," Knut said.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3462 of Monday June 02, 2025