AYV News, March 24, 2026
The Government of Sierra Leone, through the National Land Commission and with support from the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project (SLLAP), has successfully completed a landmark pilot phase of boundary harmonisation in Mapaki, Bombali district, and Rogbere, Port Loko district.
The initiative reached a major milestone with signing ceremonies held in both communities, marking a critical step toward the country’s long-anticipated national land title registration exercise.
The ceremonies brought together key stakeholders, including traditional authorities, landowners, land users, civil society representatives, and local government officials. Participants described the moment as historic, as it represents the first time community-level land boundaries have been formally agreed upon and documented collectively.
Officials say the boundary harmonisation process is essential to addressing long-standing challenges within Sierra Leone’s customary land tenure system, where unclear and overlapping land claims have often fueleddisputes and discouraged investment.
The exercise involved extensive fieldwork, including community consultations and the application of modern geospatial technology to accurately map and define land boundaries across families, sections, and chiefdoms.
According to the Commission, the initiative is designed to prevent land-related conflicts, establish a credible land registry, and create the foundation for issuing secure land titles that can be used for economic purposes such as accessing credit.
It also seeks to promote inclusive land governance by ensuring that women and vulnerable groups are recognised in the documentation process before titles are issued.
At the Mapaki ceremony, community leaders and stakeholders endorsed the outcome of the exercise, symbolising a shared commitment to transparency and cooperation in land governance.
“The success we witnessed in Mapaki and Rogberedemonstrates that when communities are at the center of the process, land reform can move forward smoothly,” said Saiku Bah, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for SLLAP.
He noted that lessons learned from the pilot phase will guide the nationwide rollout of the program.
With the pilot phase completed, the government is expected to expand the boundary harmonisation and land registration framework to other parts of the country. Authorities believe the initiative will play a transformative role in strengthening land security, boosting agricultural productivity, and attracting investment.
As Sierra Leone moves toward a modern land administration system, the Mapaki and Rogbere pilot is being seen as a pivotal step in ensuring clarity, equity, and sustainability in land ownership and use across the nation.
