The 2025 Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA) concluded Thursday, with a unified “Call to Action,” which symbolised a continent-wide commitment to transform land governance from a legacy of dispossession into a foundation for justice, reparations, and sovereignty.
Building on the opening day’s calls for addressing historical injustices, side events and technical sessions, the conference’s final declaration was aimed at moving from diagnosis to prescription, outlining actionable actions for governments, traditional leaders, development partners, civil society, and academia.
The Call-to-Action urges African governments to take the lead by developing comprehensive national frameworks that merge land restitution, cultural heritage recovery, and reparations into a single policy structure. This includes restoring indigenous place names and sacred sites, and establishing dedicated national restitution funds.
A key directive is the formal recognition and safeguarding of customary land tenure systems, which govern over 80% of Africa’s land. The call demands the harmonization of customary and statutory laws, closing gaps left by colonial legacies, and ensuring equitable access for women, youth, and marginalized groups. Governments are also tasked with infusing technology into land governance for transparency and improving management of peri-urban areas facing rapid
