Published: June 26, 2026
MONROVIA – Liberia’s land governance sector has undergone one of its most significant transformations following the completion of the Swedish-funded Sustainable Land Services in Liberia (SLSL) Project, with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) reporting major reforms that have modernized land administration, strengthened institutions, expanded women’s land rights and improved public access to land services.
Speaking at the project’s official closing seminar Wednesday at the Mamba Point Hotel, LLA Chairman Samuel Kpakio described land governance as a cornerstone of national development, saying effective land administration is essential to sustaining peace, promoting investment, stimulating economic growth and ensuring social inclusion.
“The gains achieved through this project must be preserved, strengthened, and expanded. Land governance is not merely an administrative function; it is a nation-building agenda that directly impacts the lives and livelihoods of Liberians,” Kpakio said.
The seminar marked the culmination of years of collaboration between the Government of Liberia, through the LLA, and the Government of Sweden to strengthen Liberia’s land administration system and promote sustainable land management. The event brought together senior government officials, lawmakers, development partners, civil society organizations and Swedish representatives.
Kpakio praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to governance reforms and institutional accountability, saying the administration’s development agenda aligns with efforts to build a transparent and inclusive land governance system. He also commended the LLA Board of Commissioners and staff for advancing reforms that have positioned the Authority as a key institution in national development.
Among the project’s major accomplishments, Kpakio highlighted the modernization of the LLA’s customer service delivery system, which has made land services faster, more transparent and more responsive. He said the initiative also strengthened the Authority’s information management infrastructure by improving data collection, records management, public access to information and evidence-based decision-making.
“These improvements have enhanced public confidence in the institution and made land services more accessible to Liberians nationwide,” he said.
The chairman noted that the project also empowered communities to manage land resources more sustainably, participate actively in governance processes and resolve land disputes peacefully.
He described the promotion of women’s land rights as one of the initiative’s defining achievements, saying support to the LLA Gender Unit and targeted awareness campaigns increased public understanding of women’s legal rights to own, inherit, access and benefit from land.
“These interventions are helping to create a more equitable land sector and empowering women as vital contributors to Liberia’s economic and social development,” Kpakio added.
He thanked the Government and people of Sweden for what he called unwavering support for Liberia’s land reform agenda.
“We deeply appreciate the confidence and trust that the Government and taxpayers of Sweden have placed in Liberia’s development aspirations. Their support has produced measurable and sustainable results,” Kpakio said.
Presenting an overview of the project, SLSL Project Manager Christopher Byren said the initiative significantly strengthened Liberia’s technical and institutional capacity in land administration.
According to him, 3,709 people, including 2,504 men and 1,205 women, participated in project-sponsored training and workshops, while Swedish experts contributed 1,091 working days in Liberia to build local technical capacity.
The project also trained 20 Liberians as professional land surveyors through a two-year program at the Forestry Training Institute and AME University, reconstituted the Surveyors Licensing Registration Board, and supported the graduation of 40 licensed surveyors in December 2023, increasing Liberia’s licensed surveyor workforce by 50 percent.
In customary land governance, the project financed the formalization of five communities in River Cess County and developed the Customary Land Information Management Tool (CLIMT), an online platform that improves customary land administration.
Byren said the initiative also introduced a Digital Land Administration System to modernize land governance and reduce service delivery inefficiencies.
To support decentralization, the project established and strengthened seven County Land Offices, installed Starlink internet services, introduced cloud-based accounting systems, provided video conferencing equipment and installed solar power systems in several counties. These interventions contributed to a 41 percent increase in LLA revenue between 2024 and 2025.
Other achievements included digitizing the historic Monrovia Atlas (1994-1995), scanning 232 archived maps from the Royal Geographical Society in London, procuring a drone for aerial mapping, establishing a satellite office in Careysburg and reopening the County Land Office in Harper, Maryland County.
Grand Gedeh County District 1 Representative Jeremiah Sokan, Chairman of the House Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy and Natural Resources, praised the initiative for strengthening transparency, decentralization and community participation in land governance.
“The success of the SLSL Project demonstrates what can be achieved through strong partnerships and sustained investment in institutional development. The modernization of the Liberia Land Authority and the protection of customary and women’s land rights are critical achievements that will benefit Liberia for generations,” Sokan said.
Other speakers said the conclusion of the Swedish-funded initiative marks not the end of Liberia’s land reform efforts but the beginning of a new chapter, with stronger institutions, improved public services and expanded protections for customary landowners and women expected to shape the country’s land governance for years to come.
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