Youths urged to maximise land use for economic activities

ARUSHA: DEPUTY Land Commissioner, Wilson Luge, has called on Tanzanian youths to efficiently utilise the limited available land for productive economic activities.

He told reporters at the Fourth International Youth and Land Governance Conference in Africa (CIGOFA4), here on Monday that there was a critical need for youths engagement in land-based activities. With Tanzania’s growing population, each individual has only 1.5 hectares of land on average, he said referring to the 2022 Population and Housing Census.

The government, in collaboration with organisations like the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA), is working to educate youths on effective land use practices. In response to this challenge, the government is collaborating with various stakeholders, such as the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA), which organised the ongoing CIGOFA4 conference, to educate youths on how to effectively use the limited land for economic gain.

“Our 1995 Land Policy, in its 2023 edition, grants equal land rights to all Tanzanians, as land in Tanzania belongs to the public. We encourage stakeholders like YILAA to help us raise awareness among the youth on how to maximise the productive use of limited land,” said Mr Luge.

YILAA Tanzania’s Country Director, Mr Augustine Nyakatoma, announced that the organisation plans to conduct research across four countries—Tanzania, Benin, Senegal and the DRC—on youths land ownership issues. This research aims to influence African governments to implement stronger policies supporting youths land ownership.

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Mr Nyakatoma explained that the total funding required for the research across all four countries is 90,000 US dollars.

While Senegal and Benin have secured the necessary funds, Tanzania and the DRC are still seeking financial support from FAO stakeholders, with each country requiring 22,000 US dollars to carry out the research.

ILC-Africa Senior Programme Officer, Mr Moise Mbimbe, speaking on behalf of the Africa Regional Coordinator of the International Land Coalition (ILC-Africa), pointed out that socio-economic barriers and policy constraints are significant obstacles to youth land ownership in Africa.

“Even though many youths are skilled, they face unemployment and are often excluded from critical decision-making platforms such as land governance processes.