The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has taken a significant step forward in modernizing the country’s land surveying and administration systems with the successful completion of a hands-on drone technology training and field exercise in Johnsonville.
This initiative marks the continuation of the Authority’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in land governance.
This recent practical training and drone flight exercise builds upon the foundation laid in July 2023, when the LLA, in collaboration with the Swedish Government through the Inclusive Land Administration and Management Project (ILAMP), completed a landmark drone technology training at the University of Liberia’s Fendall Campus.
Mr. Yohannes Hermanus Erasmus, an expert in drones in South Africa, conducted the first training and taught LLA technicians how to operate the state-of-the-art Wingtra drone system.
Fast forward to April 2025, the same expert consultant returned to Liberia to advance the capacity-building initiative with a focus on data processing and 3D orthorectified image creation, critical tools in the development of a reliable Land Administration System (LAS), and the establishment of a National Cadastre.
With Swedish support, the LLA flew the Wingtra Gen II drone over Johnsonville, a key conflict-prone area where the LLA is working to resolve land disputes through evidence-based, spatially accurate surveying.
This exercise, the first of its kind for the LLA, demonstrated the real-world application of drone technology in land surveying.
Participants included senior LLA technical and management staff, representatives of the Sustainable Land Services for Liberia (SLSL) Project, and an official from the Swedish Embassy.
The field exercise was immediately followed by a two-day intensive training at the LLA headquarters in Monrovia, focusing on processing and interpreting drone data to support land registration and mapping activities.
In a further boost to LLA’s technological capabilities, three senior technical staff recently completed the prestigious ITEC Executive Course on Land Governance in India, a country renowned for its pioneering work in drone-based land titling.
Drawing from India’s successful model, LLA’s experts are now applying their knowledge to replicate similar strategies in Liberia, integrating drone data into comprehensive land records and contributing to the broader digital transformation of the land sector.
Responding to questions during the occasion, Dr. Mahmoud Solomon, Commissioner for Land Administration, emphasized that the integration of drone technology into Liberia’s land sector represents a pivotal advancement in the country’s land reform efforts.
He pointed out that drone-assisted surveying is in line with Liberia’s national development goals, allowing the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) to conduct land surveys with unmatched precision and efficiency.
“This is a major leap forward, Dr. Solomon remarked. “With drones, we can now survey vast areas in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional methods. The imagery is high-resolution, the data is accurate, and the speed at which we can work is transformational. It allows us to support more communities faster and address land-related challenges with clarity and confidence.”
Highlighting the broader impact, Dr. Solomon added that drone technology significantly enhances the transparency and reliability of land administration processes.
Furthermore, he said the high-quality imagery and 3D data collected from drone flights offer verifiable evidence that is essential in resolving disputes and promoting equitable land governance.
The Board of Commissioners under the leadership of Chairman Samuel F. Kpakio is grateful for support of our partners, particularly the Swedish Government, for their continued assistance to the Land Authority.. “we acknowledged the important roles of our international partnerships in advancing the LLA’s technological capacity.
The support of the Swedish Government through ILAMP and the Sustainable Land Services for Liberia (SLSL) Project, which has enabled the Authority to undertake these groundbreaking activities.”
For his part, Mr. C. Sylvester N. Bundoo, Director of Land Administration, highlighted the practical benefits of drone technology in terms of operational cost, safety, and data management.
According to him, the new approach significantly reduces the manpower and time needed for field surveys, thereby increasing the efficiency of the Authority’s work across the country.
“We’re already seeing real value, Mr. Bundoo said. Drones minimize the logistical burden and reduce our need for prolonged field deployment. This means we can stretch our resources further, while also protecting our survey teams by allowing them to capture data remotely, especially in difficult or hazardous terrain,” he stressed.
According to Mr. Bundoo, drone-collected data is crucial for modernizing Liberia’s land records.
Mr. Bundoo further emphasized that the technology’s generation of orthorectified maps and digital cadastral layers is the basis for a robust Land Administration System (LAS) and a National Cadastre that supports land tenure security, planning, and formal land titling across the country.