The land use policy implementation system in Cameroon: Historical/contemporary perspectives and implications for national development

Abstract

This paper analyses the interorganisational system for land policy implementation in Cameroon. The analysis reveals that the system has remained largely unchanged in terms of structure, organisation, composition and function since the colonial days. It is argued that this, and the fact that the system has, since independence, grown and proliferated for reasons unrelated to the task of land policy implementation, significantly inhibit its performance. Some suggestions on how the situation can be improved are proffered in the process. Particularly, it is recommended that serious efforts be made to decentralise the system, encourage interorganisational relationships amongst its members, and de-emphasise its regulatory role. The potential costs and benefits of this set of recommendations are also discussed. It is hoped that the analysis, the problems uncovered and the remedies suggested will be informative to land policy and administrative reform efforts in Cameroon in particular and developing nations in general.