President John Mahama has announced the lifting of the temporary ban on state land transactions.
The temporary ban, which came into effect on January 10, 2025, was put in place to enable a thorough review of Ghana’s land administration system.
Speaking at the inauguration of the reconstituted National Lands Commission on Tuesday, September 2, President Mahama explained that the ban “yielded valuable insights into the weaknesses of our current system and the urgent reforms required.”
“Today, with the inauguration of the new commission and the adoption of robust accountability measures, I am pleased to announce that the ban on land transactions has been lifted,” he said.
According to him, all future allocations, leases, or sale of state lands must now strictly follow transparent procedures, incorporate digital verification systems, and be subject to stronger oversight mechanisms.
He stressed that lifting the ban does not mark a return to business as usual but signals the beginning of a more disciplined era in land management.
He added that the government is embarking on a bold reset, built on the following pillars:
- Restoring public confidence in land administration through transparency, fairness, and justice.
- Reversing illegal land transactions by reclaiming encroached lands and safeguarding public assets.
- Digitising, modernising, and decentralising land services to ensure access and efficiency.
- Harmonising customary and statutory land systems to promote equity and coherence.
