Liberia: Land Authority Trains Stakeholders in Margibi County
By Claudius T. Greene, Jr
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA), through the Land Use and Management Department, with support from the Inclusive Land Administration and Management Project (ILAMP) implemented by Lantmateriet, held a two-day regional training workshop in Kakata, Margibi County.
The training, which started on March 13-14, under the theme: "Capacity Building at the National, Regional, and Local Levels," is intended to educate participants on four legal instruments that were developed by the LLA.
Its title, “Advancing Sustainable Urbanism and Rural Development through Land Use Planning and Management,” brings together stakeholders from various sectors involved in urban and rural planning activities, including city mayors, superintendents, customary land development and management committees (CLDMCs), members of civil society organizations (CSOs), Liberia Land Authority county land offices (CLOs), and land use and management headquarters staff.
These include the national land use and management policy, the urban zoning of land use regulations, the participatory land use planning guidelines, and the framework for rural land use regulations.
The above-mentioned instruments will be used to regulate the location and uses of land, the nature and extent of the uses of land, in accordance with a comprehensive plan for the purpose of promoting health, safety, sustainability, and the general welfare of the cities and rural communities within the Republic of Liberia.
Additionally, the training will enhance participants’ knowledge on rural and urban land use management and planning activities in cities as well as rural communities.
Koboi Weedor, Margibi County Administrative Assistant, who spoke on behalf of Superintendent Jerry Varney, acknowledged the board of directors of LLA for organizing the training, which is geared towards the management and planning of land in Liberia.
Weedor said, "We all know the issues of land business in this country are major, and it is good that the Liberia Land Authority, which has the constitutional authority or power to manage our land in this country, has decided to embark on such a project and call our various chiefs and mayors from across the various cities to train them on the management of land."
In remarks, LLA Commissioner for Land Use and Management, Ellen O. Pratt, who did the overview, explained that the capacity building exercise for local communities began sometime last year and is continuing; therefore, it must be taken seriously because it is knowledge sharing for everyone.
She said land is important, therefore Liberians should know how to use and manage it wisely, stressing the need for the communities’ engagement so as to have a better understanding of what land means.
Pratt added, “So, on behalf of the Board of Commissioners of the LLA, I want to say thank you for participating in this workshop." "But this year we realized that hand in hand with the land dealing process of our community should be land use planning.”
For his part, Margibi County City Mayor Emmanuel Goll stated among many things that the issue of land is a serious matter among Liberians as compared to the past, stressing that land must be managed or used properly for the betterment of tomorrow’s future leaders.