Government is overhauling Ghana’s land administration system in a bid to unlock billions of cedis in private investment, accelerate industrial projects and improve domestic revenue, as it pushes ahead with digital land services, a national land bank and reforms aimed at restoring investor confidence.
The reforms are already yielding fiscal returns. The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands mobilised GH¢265.61 million in stool land revenue by the end of June, representing 75.48 percent of its GH¢351.88 million annual target, while the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says the broader reforms are laying the foundation for faster land acquisition, greater transparency and large-scale industrial investment.
Presenting the Ministry’s performance under the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said land administration reforms are central to government’s strategy of making Ghana a more attractive destination for investment.
He said the Ministry, working with the Office of the Attorney-General, is consulting stakeholders on regulations to operationalise the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), with Parliamentary approval expected before the end of 2026.
Digital land services gather pace
A key pillar of the reforms is the continued digitalisation of land administration.
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The Lands Commission has expanded its Enterprise Land Information System to nine regional offices, enabling individuals and businesses to apply online for land searches without physically visiting Commission offices.
For investors, quicker access to reliable land information is expected to reduce transaction costs, shorten project preparation periods and minimise disputes that often delay investment.
Buah said the government has also launched the Strategic Land Administration Reform Project, describing it as “a comprehensive, nationally owned and sustainably financed reform programme” designed to transform land administration into a “modern, transparent, decentralised, digitally enabled and performance-driven public service.”
Land bank targets agriculture and industry
Beyond digitisation, government is using land reforms to support industrial expansion.
A new Land Bank initiative is being developed to secure land for large-scale oil palm cultivation and processing, with geospatial mapping currently underway and consultations ongoing with traditional authorities.
The objective is to reduce one of the biggest obstacles facing investors — acquiring suitable land with clear ownership and legal certainty.
If successfully implemented, the initiative is expected to support commercial agriculture, agro-processing and export-oriented investments while improving land accessibility for strategic projects.
Restoring confidence in public land management
The Ministry has also introduced a series of governance reforms aimed at improving transparency in state land administration.
These include a standardised Public Land Application Form, tighter internal approval procedures and the establishment of a Public Land Protection Task Force.
According to Buah, the measures are intended to restore integrity, transparency and accountability while rebuilding public confidence in Ghana’s land administration system.
The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has meanwhile expanded its operations by opening four of its five planned district offices this year and establishing a new Customary Land Secretariat in the Sunyani Traditional Area under Section 14 of the Land Act.
Protecting borders to safeguard investment
The government’s land reforms are also extending beyond administration into territorial security.
The Ghana Boundary Commission reaffirmed 150 kilometres of the country’s land boundary with Côte d’Ivoire, leading to the construction of 37 boundary pillars by the 48 Engineer Regiment. Officials expect a further 200 kilometres to be completed before the end of the year.
The Commission has also established a joint technical committee with Burkina Faso and conducted an independent maritime patrol of Ghana’s eastern maritime boundary during the second quarter. A western maritime patrol is scheduled for the third quarter in line with the 2017 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruling.
Government believes clearly defined and protected boundaries provide greater certainty for investors, particularly in mining, agriculture and offshore petroleum activities.
Industrial projects move forward
Alongside the land reforms, government reported progress on several major industrial projects intended to strengthen Ghana’s resource-based manufacturing sector.
The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) is advancing the Tema Integrated Industrial Parks project in partnership with the Tema Development Corporation and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms. The project is expected to take approximately 36 months to complete.
GIADEC is also engaging investors on the development of a two-million-metric-tonne aluminium refinery and an aluminium foil manufacturing plant to deepen local value addition.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation has completed an advanced mineral resource estimation on the Asato-Gyamurume Iron Ore Block in the Oti Region.
Independent laboratory analysis confirmed commercially viable deposits which, according to Buah, “position Ghana as a credible destination for multi-million-dollar investments” in mining and mineral beneficiation.
Land reform becomes an economic strategy
Taken together, the initiatives reflect a broader shift in government policy.
Rather than viewing land administration simply as a regulatory function, the reforms position land as a strategic economic asset capable of attracting investment, supporting industrialisation and expanding domestic revenue.
If implemented successfully, the combination of digital land services, stronger governance, strategic land banking and industrial resource development could help reduce investment bottlenecks while strengthening Ghana’s competitiveness as a destination for agriculture, manufacturing, mining and export-oriented industries.
