Customary land accounts for 80% of Ghana’s land – Lands Commission official

The Deputy Executive Secretary of Ghana's Lands Commission, Surveyor Raphael Hokey, revealed that customary land accounts for approximately 80% of the country's land area, with public lands comprising the remaining 20%. Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Hokey emphasized that this land ownership structure posed significant obstacles to efficient land administration.

He pointed out that the complexity arises from the ownership of public lands, which include state and vested lands, with customary owners retaining beneficial interests in vested lands. This arrangement led to challenges in managing competing interests, resolving ownership disputes, and ensuring orderly physical development. Hokey noted that while the state held legal interest in vested lands, customary owners were the actual rightful owners, creating complexities in administration and management.

He described this situation as a major constraint on land management institutions, as their ability to regulate and control land use is sometimes limited by these ownership arrangements. The official identified family and traditional authority disputes over land ownership and control as persistent problems in the sector. He highlighted the practice of selling the same land parcel to multiple buyers, which created uncertainty for prospective landowners.

Furthermore, Mr Hokey expressed concerns about the lack of essential infrastructure, such as access roads and basic services, on customary lands, which hindered land purchases and raised questions about the responsibility for providing such facilities. The Lands Commission official stressed the need for stronger coordination among public institutions responsible for land administration and development control to address unauthorised developments and seek court orders when necessary.