Sulayman Jammeh, Chairperson of the Committee
By Fatou Sillah
A National Assembly committee has warned that The Gambia continues to manage its land sector without a national policy framework and under laws that no longer meet the country’s needs—shortcomings it says are fueling widespread dysfunction in land administration.
Presenting its findings to lawmakers, Sulayman Jammeh, chairperson of the Select Committee on Lands, said the absence of a National Land Policy has left key institutions working at cross-purposes, with no clear guidance on how land should be governed.
“The committee observed that The Gambia lacks a National Land Policy (NLP), a framework necessary for guiding land administration and management,” Mr. Jammeh told Parliament. He added that the country still relies on “outdated internal policies that do not reflect current land administration realities.”
The committee urged the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government to develop and implement a comprehensive land policy that would define the roles and responsibilities of all relevant authorities and eliminate longstanding overlaps among agencies. It also called for reforms to streamline land registration and documentation, along with a full review and modernization of the legal instruments governing land.
“The policy should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all relevant authorities to eliminate overlaps and enhance institutional coordination,” he said.
The report noted that land administration offices remain dependent on paper-based systems, resulting in frequent delays in registration, transfer, and mutation processes. Files often sit unattended for extended periods, the committee said, due to a lack of digital record-keeping systems, inadequate staffing, and weak logistical support.
Committee members also raised concerns about inconsistencies in how Alkalos issues land documents. Without standardized guidelines, the report said, communities apply different procedures, contributing to disputes and irregularities.
Overall, the performance audit pointed to “systemic and longstanding weaknesses” rooted in an outdated legal framework, the absence of a national policy, chronic capacity gaps, and the continued use of manual and fragmented administrative processes.