Joe Snow

In Ethiopia 🇪🇹, the state owns all land, while citizens and businesses hold long-term usage rights. Individuals can farm, build homes, or run businesses for extended periods but lack permanent private ownership titles common elsewhere. The policy stems from past reforms to prevent land concentration and ensure access for ordinary citizens. Supporters argue it reduces speculative land grabbing and supports national development priorities. Critics say it creates investor uncertainty, limits credit access, and complicates property transfers. As Ethiopia urbanizes and modernizes, land reform remains one of its key economic and political issues.