Leeds Village families’ to receive ‘Land Titles’ after decades long wait 

Over 300 families from Leeds Village in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are set to receive Certificates of Title for lands they have occupied for generations, dating back to the post-abolition era. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Legal Affairs in collaboration with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), marks a significant step in the government’s efforts to regularise land ownership across the country.
The land regularisation exercise, conducted on Saturday in Leeds, No. 51 Village, Region Six, will pave the way for occupational surveys to commence within the next week. These surveys, designed to verify land boundaries and address any disputes, are expected to be completed within approximately 90 days.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, used the occasion to emphasise that the initiative aligns with Head of State, President Irfaan Ali’s vision and is part of a broader land titling effort along the West Coast of Berbice.
“We began this process in Cotton Tree and will extend it to villages One through Five, impacting thousands of residents who have occupied these lands for decades,” Minister Nandlall stated. “A similar exercise is also underway in #49 Village on the Corentyne Coast, and we will soon finalise it, providing the entire village with land titles. Additionally, we are working on a similar project along the East Bank of the Berbice River.”
Highlighting the historical context, Minister Nandlall explained that Guyana’s land ownership system initially relied on the Dutch-introduced “transport” system, which was often seen as cumbersome and legally complex. To streamline land ownership and make it more accessible, a land registration system was introduced in the early 1960s. However, its full implementation has been delayed, and now, more than 50 years later, the government is actively working to complete this process in areas like Leeds.
“This initiative aims to simplify land ownership and transfers, providing greater security to residents,” the Attorney General noted. He further stressed that a Certificate of Title offers a stronger, more secure form of legal ownership, only challengeable on grounds of fraud, whereas the transport system could be nullified if someone occupied the land for 12-14 years. Additionally, a title is a more widely accepted form of collateral for loans compared to a transport.
“The greatest form of empowerment, aside from education, is title to land,” Minister Nandlall asserted. “This process represents real empowerment. For those of you who have lived on these lands for decades, and whose ancestors have done so for over 100 years without a title, this initiative will finally provide you with the legal documentation to claim ownership.”
The government is fully funding this comprehensive land titling process through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, the Attorney General’s Chambers, and the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Residents have been encouraged to cooperate fully to ensure the smooth and efficient completion of the surveys and titling process.
Attorney General Nandlall was accompanied during the exercise by Regional Chairman David Armogan and Rene Duesbury, Manager of Surveys at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.