Togo, Land Reform to accelerate Agricultural Productivity (LRAP) – Projet de réforme foncière pour l’accroissement de la productivité agricole

Project Objective

The Land Reform for Agricultural Productivity (LRAP) project, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), is led by the Millennium Challenge Account Togo (OMCA-Togo) to support the Togolese government in its land reform process and the operationalisation of the land and property code (Law n2018-005 of 14 June 2018). The LRAP project will ultimately improve the security of land tenure with a view to increasing investment in the agricultural sector. It is implemented over a basic period of 12 months and an optional period of 31 months. It is being implemented over a basic period of 14 months and an optional period of 29 months. The optional period began on 1 November 2023.

In the framework of the implementation of this project, the Consortium VNG International, Cadasta Foundation, Kadaster International and WiLDAF-Togo provides technical assistance to OMCA-Togo, to implement the project activities. The Technical Assistance Team (TAT) to the project is to support: the design and testing of land tenure methodologies; the identification of the least complicated and inexpensive approaches to land tenure security in rural areas; and the improvement of regulations, administrative procedures and practices.

Activities:

Activity 1: Support the development of an improved regulatory framework
Sub-activity 1.1: Preparing government stakeholders to participate in the development of the regulatory framework of the new Land and Property Code
Sub-activity 1.2: Supporting the Togolese government in determining priorities and developing guidelines for the drafting of implementing decrees for the Land and Property Code
Sub-activity 1.3: Designing and planning the drafting of implementation decrees
Sub-activity 1.4: Supporting the drafting, restitution and finalisation of application decrees

Activity 2: Develop and field test cost-effective methodologies to protect customary land rights
Sub-activity 2.1: Selection, preparation, information and communication on the five trial sites
Sub-activity 2.2: Methodology 1 – Identification and mapping of land rights; Identify, map and register customary land rights
Sub-activity 2.3: Methodology 2 – Land information management; Managing legal and spatial land information at local level
Sub-activity 2.4: Methodology 3 – Land registration procedures; Developing alternative, less costly and less complicated instruments and procedures to secure customary land rights
Sub-activity 2.5: Methodology 4 – Land conflict management; Managing and resolving customary land conflicts
Sub-activity 2.6: Development and initial support for a strategy to consolidate the achievements of the methodological recommendations and the future regulatory framework at local level.

Activities:

• The installation of the Technical Committee on Regulatory Reform (CTR);
• Development and dissemination of a CFD guide targeted at the average citizen in consultation with the four partner ministries;
• Organisation of study tours to neighbouring countries and visits to planned agricultural development zones (ZAAP);
• Supporting the Togolese government in setting priorities and developing guidelines for the drafting of CFD implementation decrees;
• The establishment of a National Advisory Committee;
• The analysis of the existing list of implementing decrees for the CFD;
• A realistic and shared understanding is established between key actors on the legal and institutional procedures;
• The list of application decrees necessary for the implementation of the DTC and which are to be drafted following the LRAP experiments will be established and submitted;
• Development of the list of potential objectives on policy orientations;
• Proposal of the parameters for the evaluation of the results of the methodologies will be proposed (for validation by the National Advisory Committee);
• Validation of the main objectives through a national workshop with all stakeholders of the land sub-sector in Togo (based on a consensus on priorities and guidelines agreed between the Government of Togo and the National Advisory Committee)
• A budgeted work plan and detailed timetable for the drafting of decrees will be established in support of the Ministry of Urbanism, Housing and Land Reform.