African Governments Use Foreign Investment to Strengthen Land Control

African governments are using foreign investment, infrastructure projects, and conservation schemes to extend their control over land and communities, according to research spanning 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This challenges the idea that African states are too weak to regulate foreign investors.

The research, conducted by Dr. Carolin Dieterle of The University of Manchester and Yuezhou Yang of the University of Oxford, analyzed 24 cases across 14 countries, combining fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2024 in Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya. The study identified two connected strategies used by governments: 'widening' and 'deepening' their authority over land.

The 'widening' strategy involves extending government authority into areas where control has traditionally been limited or shared with local communities. This can be achieved by attracting large-scale land investment, building transport and infrastructure corridors, or designating land for conservation. For example, in Ethiopia, the government identified land for a federal land bank and promoted it as available for productive use to attract large-scale agricultural investment.

The 'deepening' strategy involves strengthening government authority over time through laws, administrative systems, land registration, and technical tools such as digital mapping. This approach allows governments to consolidate their power and extend their control over land and communities.

## Why it matters The research highlights the complex relationship between foreign investment and African governments' control over land. While foreign investors, donors, and conservation organizations play a significant role in shaping these processes, the study emphasizes that African governments are not simply passive recipients of external influence. Instead, they are actively using investment and partnerships to strengthen their own authority, sometimes at the expense of communities' existing land rights.

The study's findings have significant implications for our understanding of the dynamics of land control in Africa. By recognizing the agency of African governments in shaping their own land policies, we can better appreciate the complexities of foreign investment and its impact on local communities. As the researchers note, this does not diminish the responsibility of foreign investors, donors, and conservation organizations, whose active participation helps shape these processes.