News in 2016

African Land Professionals working to ensure good land governance

 16-18 November 2016, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Report on FIG-Arica Regional Network workshop and FGF conference


Participants at the FIG Africa Regional Network Workshop

Vice President Diane Dumashie attended the 2016 Annual Africa Regional Network Capacity Development workshop 16-18th November 2016 and the Fédération des Géomètres Francophones (FGF) conference held in parallel, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, organised by the Africa Reginal Network in partnership with FGF and De L’Ordre des Geometres-Experts de Cote d’Ivore (OGECI).

From 17th to 18th November Vice President Diane Dumashie chaired the Africa FIG Regional Network (ARN) 2016 meeting and facilitated the training workshop assisted by Stephen Djaba (Geotech Ghana) and Ndwiga Robinson (GEBCO Kenya) and Yacoba Hamed Dagnoko (OGECI) who was indispensably on logistics.  Importantly ARN collaborated with the Young Surveyors from West Africa, led on this occasion by Yusuf Aro-Lambo, Adama Sarr and Chuck  Onwuzuligbo. Notably, following this workshop the Nigerian African young surveyors held a conference in Lagos, Nigeria  between 23rd and 25th of November, 2016 (see following article link).


President Adjoumany Koko Emile (De L’Ordre des Geometres-Experts de Cote d’Ivore), Vice President Dr Diane Dumashie (FIG), President François Mazuyer (FGF)


Dr Odami Larbi (FAO), Vice President Dr Diane Dumashie (FIG), President François Mazuyer (FGF), Ibrahim Mwathane (AU/LPI)  

Attended by 35 land professionals over the two day ARN workshop, participants were drawn from across the spectrum of land survey, valuation, quantity surveying and planning, and who travelled from across the Africa continent.  The theme, “Ensuring Good Land Governance Practices in the Land Profession and What you can do about it” appealed to those wishing to have an understanding of the international land governance initiatives, specifically the Voluntary Guidelines on Good Governance (VGGT’s), and we were very pleased to be joined over the two days by Dr W. Odame Larbi, currently seconded to the Africa FAO team, and a brief visit from Ibrahim Mwathane (on behalf of the Africa Union Land Policy Initiative).

Our workshop focus was to:

  • Build future resilience into land professional practices to improve governance of tenure,
  • By understanding the implementation opportunities referenced in the VGGTs and,
  • That will ensure that people benefit from secure and equitable tenure rights.

The workshop was implemented with the now trademark, highly participatory design and fast pace that enabled the participants to: overview, discover principles and practices, design, develop and communicate key good governance messages by capturing their outputs on video clips (see them here @ www)
Full details of this workshop will be reported on the ARN website in the 2017 New Year at www.fig.net/organisation/networks/capacity_development/africa/events/2016_abidjan/index.asp

Designed to run in parallel with the FGF conference with their theme title “Land management and sustainable development, which solutions for developing countries” the FGF conference was attended by Land professionals and exhibitors from across Francophone speaking Africa, and held in the Distribution Pension fund (WAEMU), Abidjan Ivory Coast
https://www.goafricaonline.com/ci/97372-crrae-umoa-epargne-abidjan-cote-ivoire

Vice President Diane Dumashie delivered a welcoming address and was also asked to chair the FGF day 3 opening session, and rapporteur the presentations from Dr W. Odame Larbi (pdf of his presentation at ARN www)  and Madame Clair Galpin (delivering Fit For Purpose on behalf of GLTN).

Because of the linguistic diverse networks, ARN (predominantly Anglophone) and FGF (Francophone) we ensured that we were able to come together at various stages and thereby expose each other to a greater number of people – making the three days, informative, productive and above all mixed with some fun as we will conclude with the opportunity of a joint field trip navigating through the complex waterways of Abidjan.


Picture of Young surveyor’s with Hamed Yacoba Dagnoko (Geometre expert, OGECI)


Chair of FIG Africa Capacity Building Network, Diane Dumashie


From the waterways tour


The view from the waterways tour


 Details of the ARN workshop will be reported on the ARN website in 2017 and to the General Assembly May 2017:
www.fig.net/organisation/networks/capacity_development/africa/events/2016_abidjan/index.asp

Dr Diane Dumashie FRICS, Vice President FIG
22 December 2016