In the short term, the digitalization of the cadastre will improve land management and reduce conflicts. 

DR Congo recently took a step further towards the digital transformation of its public service. On August 2, 2022, Minister of Land Affairs Aimé Molendo Sakombi (photo, left) signed an agreement with Luxembourg company eProseed for the implementation of e-Foncier, the country’s digital land management platform. 

According to Minister Molendo Sakombi, the contract makes eProseed the government’s partner in the implementation of that project. It ends a “long quest for a reliable partner that will lead the digitalization of the cadastre and secure land/property titles,” he added.

The government official explained that the digitalization of the cadastre is required for the department of land affairs to meet expectations, fueled by the country’s large land potential. It will also help maximize revenues, reduce land conflicts and safeguard social peace, he informed. 

The e-Foncier project will enable the government to make land management more transparent and secure more revenues. It will also make investors and individuals feel secure when it comes to land affairs. In addition, it will allow public authorities to access secure land data right from one single database and create more jobs.

The agreement with eProseed includes the construction of a "Land Tower", which will house the whole Ministry of Land Affairs, the General Secretariat, and the future National Center for the digitization of the cadastre, as of 2024. The company will also create an e-Foncier platform with a data storage feature based on artificial intelligence and blockchain. The platform will be the key tool for modern land management in DR Congo, we learn. 

To fund the project, eProseed will contribute US$140 million without government support or sovereign guarantee. It will also disburse an additional US$15 million for the construction of the tower. 

The e-Foncier project is part of ‘Horizon 2025’, the country’s digital plan that aims to resolve land conflict by securing land/property titles. For Minister Moelndo Sakombi,  the implementation of this large project will usher in a new era, which will be utterly different from what is being witnessed currently. 

Samira Njoya