Our client
MDF implements this project in consortium with VNG-International and Kadaster International. The client and partner is the National Agency for Land Administration (ANDF) of Benin, financed by the Netherlands Embassy in Cotonou.
The challenge
There are huge challenges in land security in Benin. Very few landowners actually possess official title deeds. This causes disputes between people, and many costly and time-consuming court cases. Moreover, people can not use land titles as collateral for loans or other financial transactions. Lastly, it complicates the rights of tenants, often vulnerable people in society, women and young people.
Although it's clear that land security is key in economic development and social protection, there are no simple solutions. The project tries to find the best methods to measure land, translate it in title deeds and maintain a suitable database. We apply a fit-for-purpose approach where we match the most urgent needs of the government with ground realities.
We built the capacities of ANDF and municipalities in land surveying. We enabled civil society organisations to participate in this and receive latest land information and training.
To date, the consortium has created and tested methods for measuring and titling. We've written procedures in handbooks and built ANDF's technical expertise. While there's still a path to complete land registration in Benin, the basics are now in place.
