The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has announced sweeping reforms to the administration and lease of public lands following a nationwide review of allocations and transactions between 2017 and 2024.
He noted that the reforms include the introduction of a revised Public Land Application Form to act as the single mandatory application document for all public land transactions across the country.
Addressing the media in Accra on Monday, he stated that the Cabinet has approved recommendations from a committee set up to review the lease of public lands and directed their immediate implementation.
He explained that the review was initiated after President Mahama ordered the Lands Commission on January 10, 2025, to halt all activities relating to the lease and processing of transactions involving public lands to protect state lands and restore discipline in land administration.
“The committee, chaired by the deputy minister, examined 8,160 lease applications across all sixteen regions. These included 4,176 direct allocations, 2,799 regularisations, 19 allocations involving state bungalows, 108 land swap or public-private partnership arrangements, 795 subsequent transactions and 263 fresh allocations,” he said.
According to the minister, the review found that several applications and allocations did not fully comply with the Lands Commission’s internal procedures.
He said these lapses weakened transparency and public trust and exposed the system to abuse.
“Government has therefore cancelled all uncompleted transactions within the reviewed categories. Affected applicants will be formally notified. Completed transactions will be subjected to case-by-case review, and any allocation found to have bypassed due process will be cancelled. Uncompleted regularisation applications will remain suspended until a comprehensive review and standardisation of the Lands Commission’s internal procedures is completed,” he added.
The minister clarified that a transaction will be considered completed only where a formal offer has been issued and accepted by the applicant.
“Transactions that do not meet this threshold will be treated as uncompleted. Lists of both completed and uncompleted applications will be published region by region on the websites of the ministry and the Lands Commission, starting with the Greater Accra Region,” he said.
He said affected applicants will be allowed to reapply once new reforms are fully implemented.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
