Reflections on the limited impact of the VGGT in Sub-Saharan Africa and opportunities for its future with lessons from Nigeria and Sierra Leone

The reality that significant improvements in security of tenure at scale in rural Africa are still needed nearly a decade after the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) suggests a need to explore its limitations and consider what it would take to realize its objectives. The article documents significant impacts of the VGGT reform processes and highlights illustrative or “one-off” results.