Trainees pose with officials from INES Ruhengeri and LAND-at-Scale trainers
National Land Authority (NLA) officials have completed a training course on digital transformation and administration, equipping them with the skills to enhance land management services.
The five-day training, which concluded on January 31, 2025 at the INES Ruhengeri campus, was attended by 20 managers and staff from the land agency.
It comes at a time when the Rwandan parliament has raised concerns over delays in land services and has called for improvements in service delivery.
This training was organised by the NLA in collaboration with INES Ruhengeri, with support from the Government of the Netherlands through a project called LAND-at-Scale, the University of Twente, and the Dutch Land Agency-Kadaster International, which has assisted Rwanda in establishing a land information system.
One of the training participants, Jean Baptiste Mukarage, told Kigali Today that the training is expected to contribute to improved land management services by leveraging technology.
For instance, Mukarage said they learned about land registration systems, information sharing, public outreach, and the utilization of land information to generate revenue and support effective land management.
“As land managers and land users, we will apply these skills and technologies to improve land management and usage,” he said.
One of the female graduates (middle) receives a certificate from Ines Ruhengeri VC
Mukarage noted that although Rwanda has made progress in land management, many changes have occurred over the years, necessitating an adaptation to modern technologies to enhance service delivery.
Aoife Ossendorp, Programme Advisor for LAND-at-Scale in the Netherlands, stated that since 2020, they have collaborated with Rwanda on various projects aimed at improving land management through the NLA.
Ossendorp emphasized that modern technology is crucial in land management, underscoring the importance of continuous capacity building for NLA staff, who are responsible for delivering most land-related services daily.
Aoife Ossendorp (seated) shows the importance of soft skills in land management
To improve land service delivery and management, Ossendorp highlighted that the trainees were equipped with skills on engaging with the public, collaborating with districts to prepare land use plans transparently, and ensuring easy access to reliable land information.
With these skills, Ossendorp stated that the trainees would be better positioned to contribute to resolving land-related conflicts in collaboration with mediators and local authorities.
“Today’s training focused on building the capacity of the National Land Agency staff and connecting them with land experts in the country, enabling them to play a greater role in the good governance and management of land in Rwanda,” Ossendorp said.
INES Ruhengeri College, which hosted the training, is a key partner in the programme and is one of the institutions responsible for training future land surveyors and managers.
Father Dr Jean Bosco Baribeshya, the college’s Vice-Chancellor, stated that the institution provides the necessary resources for the training, while the Dutch Government funds the initiative to improve land services in Rwanda, a country with limited land resources.
“As a university, we teach, but it is more effective when we collaborate with professionals working in the field to ensure that our curriculum aligns with job market demands.
For our land to be productive, we need knowledge that goes beyond textbooks and meets practical needs,” Baribeshya said.
Baribeshya added that the training leaves INES Ruhengeri with the responsibility of assessing how land management professionals can enhance their skills, considering the challenges and solutions required to ensure productive land use for community sustenance.
“What the college seeks is not financial gain but knowledge that benefits the public,” Baribeshya concluded.
INES Ruhengeri campus
