The Chairman of the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) Samuel F. Kpakio, has promised to reform the institution by upholding integrity and transparency.
Kpakio noted that in order to restore public trust, strengthen governance, and ensure fair access to land rights for all Liberians, his administration will work to uphold integrity, Transparency and accountability at the institution.
He made the disclosure at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) regular Press briefing on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
He emphasized his commitment to ensuring that the LLA becomes a model of transparency, empowering Liberians to securely hold, trade, and exercise their land rights
“Under my leadership, and with the support of my commissioners, we are advancing reforms to ensure that all transactions are conducted transparently, adding that, “these steps from audits to decentralization – balance urgency with integrity.”
Mr. Kpakio expressed his confidence that these efforts will soon yield visible improvements in accountability, efficiency, and public confidence in Liberia’s land rights.
According to him, his immediate focus is on modernizing systems, revising regulations, and embedding accountability at every level, adding, “we have communicated with GAC and IAA to conduct an internal audit that will assess the systems and practices that were inherited, creating a clear baseline for reforms.”
Kpakio noted that the audits by GAC and IAA will guide targeted improvements, ensuring transparency in how to manage land resources.
He said the cornerstone strategy is overhauling the dispute resolution unit, streamlining workflows, creating dedicated task forces, and implementing accountability measures to resolve cases fairly.
“Simultaneously, we are establishing a Legal Division to combat criminal conveyance and a Compliance Unit to ensure adherence to laws and internal standards. I believe that collaboration is key in this light. We recently held a two-day working session with county land administrators, emphasizing ethics, professionalism, and their role in delivering equitable services,” he noted
According to him, the dialogue will continue as they seek to roll out County Land Boards and Task Forces across all 15 counties to ensure the implementation of the LLA Act (2016) and Land Rights Act (2018), translating laws into tangible protections.
In addition, he said the LLA is collaborating with the Liberia Revenue Authority to create a land valuation system that is based on the Real Estate Property Valuation Software and App Project which is a framework and will be tested in three counties to clarify property values and generate government resources.
He further emphasized that the initiative is in line with the President’s agenda to create jobs for young people, especially those trained through the President’s digitalization program.
Further, he said, the entity will be launching new Land Deed Forms with security features that will curb fraud.
Moreover, he noted that with support from the Swedish government, the institution has trained staff for Deed Verification, which will be later decentralized to county offices to eliminate double registrations and guarantee legal land ownership with the support of Swedish partners.
To safeguard public trust, “we have imposed a moratorium on public land transactions in the Omega and Hotel Africa communities in Montserrado County. Individuals holding Development Grant Deeds in these areas must submit copies to our headquarters by March 31, 2025, for verification by a dedicated committee,” he stressed.
The LLA was established by an Act of Legislature on October 6, 2016, as an autonomous agency of the Government with operational independence, subsumes land functions that were performed by several agencies for the Government. LINA