In a notable effort to enhance international cooperation, a delegation from Gambia, led by Ms. Saffie Sankareh-Farage, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs recently visited Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology.
The team was received by the Principal of the College Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the staff and Head of the Lands and Geomatics Department Dr. Lydia Mazzi Kayondo as well as the Dean of the School of the Built Environment Assoc. Prof. Anthony Gidudu. The delegation aimed to gain insights from Uganda’s experiences in land administration and policy formulation. The team engaged with different faculty members from the Department of Geomatics and Land Management.
Gambia, a small West African nation, is in the process of developing its first-ever land policy which will involve institutional reforms and legal changes. Uganda’s land policy, formulated in 2013, served as a model for Gambia due to similarities in government structures, laws, and history.
During their two-week study tour in Uganda, the Gambian delegation engaged with various government institutions, agencies, and civil society organizations involved in land administration. They visited communities where projects were initiated to register customary land, drawing parallels with Gambia’s own tribal-type land tenure system.
“We have had the opportunity to learn about the pre-implementation process, the formulation of the policy processes, as well as the implementation history of Uganda’s land policy,” Ms. Saffie Sankareh-Farage noted.
Some key objectives of the visit included exploring partnerships with Makerere University to build capacity in land management, leveraging the university’s academic excellence and research expertise, capacity Building, and Land Management Innovations. The team was interested in learning about innovative technologies and approaches used by Makerere University’s Department of Geomatics and Land Management and School of Built Environment.
The delegation visited labs and saw a demonstration of surveyors and GIS professionals’ training equipment.
The College Principal Prof. Moses Musinguzi welcomed the delegation, saying, “We are thankful that you are here and thank you for choosing to visit Makerere University.” He further highlighted that “We are ready to collaborate and exchange knowledge to address common challenges like issues of land management.”
By learning from Uganda’s experiences, Gambia hopes to accelerate its development, transitioning from a manual-based system to a digital one that enhances efficiency, accuracy, and tenure security. These different engagements will drive progress in land administration and serve as a model for regional cooperation.
Article by Denise Kazooba