Government to cancel unfinished public land sales to protect state lands
The government has announced plans to cancel all unfinished sales of public lands as part of efforts to curb abuse and restore public confidence in Ghana’s land administration system.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said Cabinet has approved a nationwide review of public lands sold or allocated without the completion of required processes.
He said any transaction found to have bypassed due procedure would be cancelled.
Mr Buah made the disclosure during an official working visit by Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
He explained that the decision was aimed at ending long-standing practices that had allowed public lands meant for national development to be diverted for private benefit.
“Cabinet has approved our recommendation that all public lands that had been sold are going under review to check value for money and proper process,” the minister said. “Those that did not complete the process are automatically cancelled.”
Mr Buah described the situation inherited by the ministry as troubling, noting that lands acquired by the state for agriculture and other public purposes had been poorly managed by some officials entrusted with their oversight.
He said the review would send a clear signal that misuse of public lands would no longer be tolerated, adding that steps had been taken to ensure accountability.
“By the time we finish, no government official will even think of taking public land,” Mr Buah said, adding that offenders would be exposed publicly.
The minister linked the reforms to changes at the Lands Commission, including plans to digitalise all land records and services within two years. He said the move was expected to reduce delays, missing files and opportunities for corruption.
Under the new arrangement, Mr Buah said 70 per cent of the commission’s retained revenue would be used to support digital systems. This, he explained, would allow Ghanaians to access land services without repeated visits to offices or reliance on middlemen.
He added that the government was also decentralising land administration to bring services closer to communities, with 110 metropolitan and district assemblies expected to host Lands Commission offices.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang welcomed the reforms and said land administration affected everyday life and livelihoods across the country.
“Decentralisation is not a joke,” she said. “That is what solves problems at the basic level, where life begins.”
She also called for fairness in access to land and urged that women be considered in plans to establish land banks for agricultural investment.
The Vice President said the ministry had the full backing of the government, noting that protecting land and the environment went beyond governance and touched on national survival.
The Ministry expects the cancellation of unfinished public land sales to rebuild public trust, protect state assets and support the use of land for its original public purpose.
