By: Fatou Krubally
The National Assembly Select Committee on Regional Government and Lands has uncovered widespread systemic failures in the country’s land registration and documentation processes, following its review of the National Audit Office’s Performance Audit Report covering 2018–2021.
The Committee, chaired by Hon. Sulayman Jammeh, found that: outdated laws, poor record-keeping, a fully manual registration system, inadequate staffing, and severe logistical constraints continue to cripple land administration nationwide. The committee has issued strong recommendations and given the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government (MoLRG) a 90-day timeline to act on all key reforms.
One of the most significant findings is the absence of a National Land Policy (NLP), which the Committee says has led to overlapping mandates and conflicts between ministries and local authorities. Many of the laws governing land, including the State Lands Act, Lands Acquisition and Compensation Act, and Surveys Act, were enacted between the 1940s and 1990s and no longer reflect modern realities.
The Committee warned that the lack of a proper policy framework has contributed to violent land disputes in places such as Gunjur–Berending, Faraba Banta, and Taibatou–Kerewan.
The audit reveals that MoLRG and local authorities lack sufficient trained surveyors, planners, and valuers to meet rising demands. Three out of five regions lack regional offices for the Department of Lands and Surveys (DLS), forcing overstretched staff to cover vast areas. In some cases, a single officer oversees more than 1,000 villages.
DPPH and DLS staff in the West Coast Region—the country’s busiest—also serve the Lower River Region, resulting in chronic delays.
The Committee found that the land leasing process is one of the most bureaucratic in the country. Applicants must navigate more than 22 procedural steps, involving seven different institutions. Provincial lease applications take an average of 31.6 months, while state land leases take over 5 years to complete.
Files often lie dormant for months or years without action. In one example, file PA 32/D137/2019 remained unprocessed despite approval granted in 2020.
A digital workflow system developed at a cost of D900,000 under a UNDP-funded project remains unused.
The entire land administration process is paper-based. The Ministry lacks a centralized database, and local authorities often store land documents in their homes without proper facilities. Many chiefs and Alkalos keep incomplete or disorganized records, increasing the risk of disputes and double allocations.
Storage rooms at central and regional offices are dilapidated, poorly ventilated, and infested with rodents, the Committee observed.
The DPPH relies partly on Google Earth for geo-referencing an unsecured system vulnerable to manipulation.
The Committee reported widespread shortages of basic logistics, including vehicles, fuel, stationery, office space, and digital equipment:
Of the eight DLS vehicles, only two were operational.
Regional offices receive as little as D5,000 per month for fuel.
In 2020, DLS received no stationery budget, forcing staff to rely on applicants or philanthropists.
Some regional offices operate in rented or unsuitable spaces with poor sanitation.
The Committee has issued several far-reaching recommendations, including:
Development of a comprehensive National Land Policy, Full review and modernization of outdated land laws; Establishment of a one-stop digital land registration system, Operationalization of the UNDP-funded workflow system, Strengthening of GIS and nationwide cadastral mapping, Recruitment and training of qualified technical staff, Provision of adequate logistics, vehicles, fuel, and office space, Enforcement of uniform and lawful land transfer procedures.
All recommendations carry a 90-day timeline for the Ministry to take action.
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By: Fatou Krubally The National Assembly Select Committee on Regional Government and Lands has uncovered widespread systemic failures in the…
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