A team of Swedish surveyors and geodesist technicians has successfully completed a two-week mission in Liberia aimed at strengthening the country’s land administration and surveying capabilities.
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) and Sweden’s national mapping and cadastral agency collaborated to carry out the mission as part of the ‘Development for Delivery of Sustainable Land Services in Liberia project.
The project seeks to enhance land governance in Liberia and is intended to achieve two key sustainable outcomes, to increase the availability of Land Information and Services, with a strong emphasis on customary land formalization, and to enhance institutional Capacity at the LLA to deliver land services through sustainable, effective, and efficient business processes through Strengthening Liberia’s Land Administration System.
The primary objective of the mission is to review and enhance the connectivity and functionality of the LLA Land Administration System (LAS).
The Swedish experts evaluated or examined the Deed Verification and Scanning Modules, which were developed in the previous Swedish-funded project, ILAMP.
These modules are crucial for improving land documentation, deed authentication, and reducing fraudulent land transactions
Speaking during the training, C. Sylvester Bundoo, Director of Land Administration, stated that the mission is to improve digital platforms by streamlining land services and making land records more accessible, transparent, and secure for both government agencies and the public.
He said there will be an upgrading of Surveying Equipment and Training for local experts, something he described as a significant component of the mission focused on modernizing LLA’s surveying capabilities through both equipment upgrades and specialized training.
According to Mr. Bundoo, Surveying plays a critical role in land administration, ensuring accurate land measurements, boundary demarcations, and geospatial data management.
He emphasized that during the training, ten LLA surveyors participated in an intensive training program on Connecting and surveying with the Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS).
“This system provides real-time correctional data to improve the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning. Utilizing the Hexagon/SmartLink Precise Point Positioning (PPP) solution: This cutting-edge technology enhances the precision of satellite-based positioning, enabling surveyors to conduct high-accuracy surveys even in areas with limited reference stations,” he added.
He further noted that these advanced techniques significantly improve survey accuracy, reduce errors, and enhance efficiency in land mapping, all critical factors in developing a modern land administration framework.
The Director of Land Administration at the Liberia Land Authority revealed that laying the foundation for a National Cadastre, the trained surveyors are now equipped to contribute to the densification of Liberia’s National Geodetic Reference Network with their newly acquired skills.
Additionally, Mr. Bundoo noted that this network forms the foundation for a comprehensive national cadaster system, a system that will accurately document and manage land ownership, usage, and transactions across the country.
He believes that a well-established national cadaster is expected to minimize land conflicts by providing precise and legally recognized land boundaries, enhance land tenure security for both customary and formal landowners, improve land valuation, taxation, and urban planning, and support economic development by fostering investment in land-based projects.
As a step forward for Liberia’s Land Governance, the successful completion of this mission marks a significant step forward in Liberia’s ongoing efforts to build a modern, transparent, and efficient land administration system.
The Liberia Land Authority Director of Land Administration stressed that with continued support from Sweden through Lantmäteriet the Liberia Land Authority is expected to make substantial progress in formalizing land ownership, reducing disputes, and enhancing land-related service delivery.
The collaboration between Liberia and Sweden highlights the importance of international partnerships in strengthening land governance, ensuring that land services are more accessible, reliable, and sustainable for all Liberians.