How many young people in Africa own land?
This is one of the biting questions coming up at the Fourth International Youth and Land Governance Conference in Africa taking place for five days in the Northern Tanzanian City of Arusha.
Running under the theme of ‘Acceleration of Youth Land Rights,’ this significant event has attracted more than 500 participants from all over Africa and beyond and is set to unite global stakeholders to advance the youth land governance agenda across the continent.
“The Fourth International Youth and Land Governance Conference in Africa (CIGOFA4) aims at empowering young people by providing a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration on vital issues related to land rights, climate justice, and sustainable development,” explains the Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA), Innocent Antoine Houedji from Benin.
Participants in attendance include representatives from governments, civil society, development partners, academics, and youth leaders. The meeting has also gathered marginalized youth and traditional elders.
The conference taking place at the Mount Meru Hotel is co-organized by the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA) in collaboration with the African Union (AU), the German Agency for International Development (GIZ) and the International Land Coalition.
Other collaborators include the FIG Young Surveyors Network, which is the premier international organization representing the interests of surveyors worldwide, there is also the global organization that works with governments and civil society to strengthen land rights for rural communities in Africa and Asia (LANDESA), the Tanzania Land Alliance (TALA) and the International Land Coalition (ILC).
While the main theme is ‘Acceleration of Youth Land Rights,’ the guiding topic addresses the issue of Advancing Youth Land Rights in Africa and Helping Young People Build a Better Future.
“We would also like to hear the voices from African women who are usually the victims of land related conflicts and injustices on the continent,” said Debora Qyugi the YILAA Volunteer Manager for Anglophone Countries.
“Tanzania is among the African countries facing a series of land related conflicts,” said Benard Baha the National Coordinator of Tanzania Land Alliance and the National Land Coalition on Land Governance Platform facilitator in Tanzania.
“Addressing the current status of land ownership in the country is vital,” he added.
Other objectives of the Fourth International Youth and Land Governance Conference include in Empowering the Youth: Emphasizing the critical role of youth in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
According to the African Union’s Youth Development Report, the continent has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years.
But 55 percent of the young people in Africa live in rural areas some facing serious cases of unemployment with the majority being steeped in poverty though they could be empowered economically through the available land.
The conference also offers platforms for Knowledge Exchange and Showcasing innovative solutions and best practices in youth land governance.
It is also tackling issues of Policy Development through engaging with policymakers to accelerate the implementation of youth land rights across Africa.
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