Mr. Amadou also stressed the importance of involving civil society organizations in the operation of the Chad Land Observatory (Observatoire du Foncier du Tchad): "Once the observatory has been created, the role of civil society is crucial to its operationalization. As a civil society organization, we really are a key player. For an observatory to function properly, everyone must be involved [...]. In Niger, we're a little ahead of the game, because the involvement is already effective".

This is the subject of his central recommendation for the Chad Land Observatory.

In Chad, the land observatory was created in 2001 and is attached to the University of N'Djamena. The institution provides support in the field of training and in the production of data and knowledge on land issues, but it continues to face difficulties. The obstacles are linked to its current status, which does not allow for administrative and financial autonomy. Visibility and multi-stakeholder dynamics also need to be strengthened if the land observatory is to become better known and play its role to the full.

With the national land policy in the final stages of adoption, the observatory will play a key role in monitoring its implementation. As a prelude to this, the ongoing “Improving local land governance in Chad” project includes an agreement between FAO and the observatory to set up a mechanism for evaluating and monitoring the inclusive land reform.

The experiences in Niger and Chad highlight lessons that can be shared with other stakeholders in the sub-region. strong political will, commitment and a common vision shared by all stakeholders can contribute to the legitimacy, institutional anchoring and sustainability of the observatories, which that may ultimately contribute to overseeing that policies are transformed into action on the ground.