Background of Institute of Land Administration (ILA)

The initiative to start a B.Sc. education in Land Administration came from the Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Use Authority (EPLAUA) of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). EPLAUA is responsible for coordinating and regulating activities related to environmental protection, land administration, and land use issues in ANRS. One of its tasks is to develop a new land administration system that primarily provides farmers with better security of user rights to land. This activity was new in Ethiopia, and there was no specific land administration education in the country. Because of the lack of professionals in the area of Land Administration, EPLAUA approached Bahir Dar University (BDU) to discuss the possibility of starting an academic program in Land Administration. In order to gain international experience, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden, was contacted. KTH has been training national land surveyors in land administration since 1932 and has also offered an international Master of Science (M.Sc.) program in Land Administration since 1996. The M.Sc. program covers legal and economic issues related to the management of land policy, land development, and land administration, with a focus on rights to land and how such rights are linked to infrastructure development. The collaboration program with KTH started in 2004 within the ongoing Sida Amhara Rural Development Programme (SARDP). This collaboration aimed to educate teachers at BDU, with the clear intention of starting an education program in Land Administration. The collaboration began by upgrading some of the existing staff to Master’s level. For the intakes from 2004 to 2008, BDU staff have been admitted to the M.Sc. in Land Administration program at KTH. 

Since 2006, Bahir Dar University staff have also attended the M.Sc. in Geodesy and Geomatics program at KTH. In addition, KTH has trained staff from EPLAUA. The curriculum for a 4-year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) program in Land Administration was developed jointly by BDU, KTH, and EPLAUA, and the B.Sc. program started in 2006 under the then Faculty of Law. Since November 2007, KTH has been a partner in the ongoing “Establishment of the Institute of Land Administration, Bahir Dar University” project. An Advisory Board of Study was formed, and the first meeting was held in November 2007. The Senate of BDU established the Institute of Land Administration (ILA) on 25 January 2008. Dr. Firew Tegegne was appointed as Director of the institute on 10 April 2008, and the Chief Technical Advisor, Mrs. Benita Nordin, started her assignment on 15 April 2008. ILA became a budget center as of the Ethiopian fiscal year 2001 (10 July 2008) when the academic staff who remained under their mother faculties and departments were transferred to the institute.

The Institute of Land Administration is one of the 15 vibrant institutions under the Bahir Dar University working in line with the Vision of the University to become a leading University in Africa. The Institute of Land Administration at Bahir Dar University has been making significant strides since its establishment in 2006. It has successfully opened three departments in Land Administration and Surveying, Real Property Valuation, and Architecture for undergraduate programs. Additionally, it is running five MSc graduate programs including Land Administration and Management, Real Property Valuation, Real Property Law, Geomatics, and Land Use Planning and Development. Notably, the Institute has also initiated a full-time PhD program in Land Policy and Governance in 2016, a unique contribution at the national and regional level. These accomplishments within a relatively short timeframe highlight the dedication of the academic staff and the unwavering support from the University's leadership.