IGAD, Uganda Strengthen Youth Engagement in Land Governance

Summary:

• IGAD and Uganda’s Ministry of Lands concluded a three-day meeting focused on boosting youth involvement in land governance. Key outcomes included creating a database of youth-led organizations, developing a digital media campaign, and designing a content calendar for the upcoming Youth Conference.

---

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through its Land Governance Unit, in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, concluded a three-day meeting with the IGAD Land Governance Youth Steering Committee. The meeting focused on enhancing knowledge management in land programming and boosting youth involvement in land governance at local, national, and regional levels, in alignment with IGAD’s commitment to inclusive and participatory governance.

A major outcome of the meeting was the creation of a comprehensive database of youth-led organizations focused on land governance, which will be hosted on IGAD’s communication platforms. This database will facilitate a targeted digital media campaign over the next three months, sharing updates and promoting youth advocacy.

Using a Hackathon approach, the team also developed a content calendar for the upcoming Youth Conference in August. This strategic tool outlines communication channels, target audiences, content types, and key messages, helping to streamline efforts for the event.

Through this initiative, IGAD and youth will foster:

• Increased awareness of youth-led solutions on land governance through country-specific digital media engagement.
• Cross-regional networking and learning among youth working on land issues.
• A centralized platform for policies, research, and resources supporting youth-led land advocacy.
• An online repository of relevant policies, laws, and knowledge products.

During the closing session in Entebbe, Mr. Mubarak Mabuya, IGAD’s Chief of Staff, emphasized the significance of empowering youth in land governance. “Land is not just an asset, but the foundation of economic, cultural, and environmental resilience,” Mabuya remarked. He highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration to ensure youth play a key role in shaping sustainable land policies.

On behalf of Uganda’s government, Ms. Naome Kabanda, Director of Land Management at the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, praised the efforts of youth in advancing land governance and called for the continued translation of meeting outcomes into impactful actions.

The initiatives aim to engage various stakeholders, including IGAD’s Youth Steering Committee and member state ministries of land, to ensure youth empowerment in land governance across the region.