Ghana: the land question in El Dorado

Despite the Ghana's political stability and positive reputation, land is still a major issue of concern.

The question of the insecurity of property rights and unequal access to land represents a chink in the armour of Ghana, which is widely portrayed as one of the economic and political standouts in Africa. With weak institutions, fraudulent sales, disputes over boundaries and violent land clashes, the land question is one of the biggest single threats to human security in the country.

This report explores the nature of the land problem, its causes and its impact on security in Ghana. It also makes policy recommendations for the improvement of land administration and management in the country. The analysis is placed in the context of similar land problems in other ECOWAS countries. The report is based on field research carried out in August 2013 and on years of research on land rights in Africa by some of its contributing authors.

Authors

Nancy Annan, Researcher, Conflict Peace and Security Programme (Gender and Conflict) Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Accra, Ghana

Emmanuela Kabran, Junior Fellow Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division Institute for Security Studies, Dakar

Ato Onoma, Head African Centre for Peace and Security Training Institute for Security Studies