Foreign Inventors Dominates Land acquisition in Africa

Updated by April ,04, 2022

A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization on Land acquisitions indicate that it is on the increase in Africa.
The study has been realized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) at the request of FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) warns that the move can bring many opportunities such as employment, investment in infrastructure, increases in agricultural productivity to the continent.

The report found that land-based investment has been rising over the past five years. But while foreign investment dominates, domestic investors are also playing a big role in land acquisitions.

It added that Private sector deals are more common than government-to-government ones, though governments are using a range of tools to indirectly support private deals. Concerns about food and energy security are key drivers, but other factors such as business opportunities, demand for agricultural commodities for industry and recipient country agency are also at play. Although large-scale land claims remain a small proportion of suitable land in any one country, contrary to widespread perceptions there is very little "empty" land as most remaining suitable land is already under use or claim, often by local people.

The report found that many countries do not have sufficient mechanisms to protect local rights and take account of local interests, livelihoods and welfare. A lack of transparency and of checks and balances in contract negotiations can promote deals that do not maximize the public interest. Insecure local land rights, inaccessible registration procedures, vaguely defined productive use requirements, legislative gaps and other factors too often undermine the position of local people.

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It calls for carefully assessing local contexts, including existing land uses and claims; securing land rights for rural communities; involving local people in negotiations, and proceeding with land acquisition only after their free, prior and informed consent.
In Ghana Land acquisition in Ghana and other countries on the continent, The acquisition is fraught with challenges such as multiple sales, high cost of unofficial charges,unnecessary bureaucracies, intrusion of unqualified middlemen, and lack of transparency
among others.

Experts are making a strong case for digitization of the process to help alleviate these challenges and make acquisition simple.

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