Ghana Begins Review of 1999 Land Policy to Shape Modern Land Governance
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Lands Commission and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL), has begun a comprehensive review of Ghana’s 1999 National Land Policy, with the new policy expected to be ready for Cabinet consideration and approval by the end of 2027.
The review is aimed at developing a modern land governance framework capable of responding to emerging challenges arising from rapid urbanisation, population growth, technological advancement, economic development and climate change.
Speaking at a two-day inception workshop to set the review in motion, the Deputy Minister for Resources, Mr Yusif Sulemana, said the 1999 National Land Policy had provided an important foundation for reforms in the land sector but needed to be updated to reflect Ghana’s current realities.
He noted that the policy had contributed to significant reforms, including the enactment of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which consolidated about 13 separate land laws into a single comprehensive legal framework.
Mr Sulemana, however, said significant challenges continued to undermine effective land administration, citing delays in land service delivery, land and boundary disputes, encroachment on public lands, multiple sales of land, tenure insecurity and competing land uses.
He said many of the emerging pressures facing the land sector could not have been fully anticipated when the 1999 policy was formulated, making a comprehensive review necessary to ensure that land governance kept pace with national development.
The Deputy Minister described the review as a key government commitment and disclosed that the new policy would receive Cabinet-level attention as part of efforts to strengthen land governance and improve the management and use of land resources.
The revised policy is expected to provide a framework that responds to contemporary economic, social, environmental and technological realities while addressing longstanding weaknesses in land administration.
The new policy is expected to be ready for Cabinet consideration and approval by the end of 2027.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
