Presentations from across Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate how ongoing analysis and engagement with political and economic factors is necessary to realise sustained land governance reforms.

The 5th International Land Management Conference (ILM5), held in London and online in March 2026, explored the wide range of socio-cultural, political and economic factors that influence land management and land markets.  It was organised by the Land International Network for Knowledge (LINK) and co-hosted by the University of the West of England, the Land Facility Decision Support Unit (LF-DSU) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

This blog reflects on a session on power and agency in land governance, which included a series of presentations that suggest a recurring lesson: land governance activities, systems and programmes are shaped and reshaped by the political economy features surrounding them and empower or disempower those whose land they impact. The session combined academic research with insights from practitioners and perspectives from policymakers and public servants, highlighting examples of how these various approaches and viewpoints grapple with the political economy of land governance.

The session was moderated by the LF-DSU’s Deputy Team Leader, Emily Hayter, and featured a lead presentation by Catherine Boone, Professor of Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and part of the LF-DSU’s Political Economy Advisory Group.