AfDB expert says technology, innovation to remove corruption in Africa’s land sector

The African countries must act faster to purge corruption in the land sector by harnessing technology and innovation, African Development Bank Senior Vice President Charles Boamah urged on November 25.

Charles Boamah also called for the deployment of more financial and human resources to land policy development, "especially in rural areas and among the most vulnerable, including women."

He who was speaking to policymakers and stakeholders at a conference on Land Policy in Africa in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, also called for the deployment of more financial and human resources to land policy development, "especially in rural areas and among the most vulnerable, including women."

The biennial conference, organized by the Land Policy Centre, provides a central platform for African stakeholders to network and deepen their commitment to land policy development, implementation and monitoring, through access to knowledge and evidence-based policymaking. This year's dialogue, hosted by the African Development Bank, is on the theme: "Winning the Fight against corruption in the Land sector: Sustainable pathways for Africa's transformation."

"This corruption takes many forms — bribery or illicit land transactions is just one example. Land developers and speculators specifically target countries with weak governance systems. Local powerful elites are also more likely to manipulate such systems to serve narrow ends not to benefit the public," Boamah noted. In Africa, every client of a land administration service has paid a bribe.