This paper proposes to fill the important gap in reliable and nationally representative land tenure data by including a Land Tenure Module (LTM) to be linked to multi-purpose household surveys such as the Living Standard Measurement Surveys (LSMS).  Developing survey standards to generate globally comparable land data is important for generating data to be used in global and regional land governance monitoring initiatives (SDGs; LPI – UNECA; GLTN/ GLII; VGGT).  The LTM can be a cost-effective way to provide data for evidence-based analyses that will help identify the areas where policy action can have the most significant and/or immediate impact, and help in sequencing and prioritizing policy interventions. The paper illustrates important issues that may be analyzed based on such a module in order to motivate its implementation and where the current state of knowledge is constrained by limited data access.

The mandate of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) is "policymaking, standards setting, national planning, regulation, coordination, inspection, monitoring and back-up technical support relating to lands, housing and urban development; promoting and fostering sustainable human settlement; and, managing works on government buildings" in the country.