The National Land Authority (NLA) was established by the Presidential Order N^o 030/01 of 06/05/2022. The newly established institution has previously known many restructuring that caused the change of name since 2008 when the National Land Center (NLC) was established as a specialized agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources. The National Land Authority mandate is to manage and administer land in Rwanda, including implementing land policy, land use planning, land registration, land consolidation, and management of land conflicts. The agency is under the Ministry of Environment.

Before NLA was established, the management of land in Rwanda was carried out by various institutions, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Ministry of Justice. This fragmented approach led to a lack of coordination and consistency in land management, which resulted in land disputes, insecurity of land tenure, and land-related conflicts.

To address these challenges, the Rwandan government established NLA as a centralized institution responsible for all matters related to land management. NLA was established with the mandate to implement land laws and policies, provide technical assistance to local government and other land-related institutions, conduct land research and analysis, and ensure the efficient and effective management of land resources in Rwanda.

Since its establishment, NLA has made significant strides in transforming the land sector in Rwanda. Some of the key achievements of NLA include the development of a national land policy, the establishment of a modern land registration system, and the establishment of a land use planning system that aims to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of land resources in Rwanda.

NLA has also played a critical role in addressing land-related conflicts in Rwanda. Through its mediation and conflict resolution mechanisms, NLA has been able to resolve thousands of land disputes and ensure the security of land tenure for millions of Rwandans.

The establishment of NLA has been a critical milestone in the development of Rwanda's land sector. The agency is instrumental in ensuring the efficient and effective management of land resources, promoting sustainable land use, and ensuring the security of land tenure for Rwandans and any other land right holder.