The Lands Commission has outlined procedures for prospective land buyers in Ghana to follow to help avoid litigation including verifying ownership, inspecting boundaries and confirming the legal authority of sellers before making full payment.
This move, according to the Commission can help to avoid fraud and costly land disputes.
Speaking in a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Accra based Citi FM on Wednesday morning (October 14, 2026), Raphael Hokey, the Acting Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Operations at the Lands Commission said buyers must conduct thorough checks, including searches at the Commission, before committing money to land transactions.
He warned that buyers who failed to establish the legal status of a parcel of land risked losing their investments, particularly where sellers offered state-owned or vested lands without the necessary authority.
He outlined steps prospective buyers should take to verify ownership and explained measures being pursued to improve land administration.
Check ownership before buying land
Mr Hokey advised prospective buyers against relying solely on assurances from chiefs, family heads, estate developers or other people claiming ownership of land.
“I cannot overemphasise that word enough. Due diligence, due diligence, due diligence,” he said.
He urged buyers to begin the process by conducting a search at the Lands Commission to establish what its records showed about the land.
Prospective buyers should submit the relevant site plan to the Commission for verification. A search report may show whether the land is recorded as state-owned or vested land, whether ownership interests have been registered and whether other relevant information is available.
Mr Hokey said searches had helped some prospective buyers discover they were dealing with people who lacked the authority to sell the land.
He advised buyers to seek clarification from sellers about any concerns raised by the search results before proceeding with a transaction.
A search report, he cautioned, did not guarantee that the land was free from competing claims. The Commission's records might not contain complete information about customary ownership, particularly where the original landowning group had not registered its interest.
Buyers should investigate gaps or inconsistencies in the records before making a purchase.
Inspect the land and confirm its boundaries
Mr Hokey also urged prospective buyers to visit the site to confirm that the parcel being offered for sale corresponded with the site plan.
They should verify the location, measurements and boundaries, engaging a licensed surveyor where necessary.
He said a site plan submitted for registration must be prepared by a licensed surveyor and approved by the Director of the Survey and Mapping Division or an authorised representative.
The Commission uses authenticated, barcoded site plans to help verify land parcels and improve the accuracy of its records.
Mr Hokey advised buyers to confirm that the site plan accurately identified the land they intended to acquire before completing payment.
Confirm the seller's authority
He said buyers must establish not only the location of a parcel but also who owned the relevant interest and whether the person offering it for sale had the legal authority to do so.
The need for such checks was particularly important for family and stool lands, where disagreements over family leadership, ownership and the authority to sell could expose buyers to competing claims.
Mr Hokey said Section 14 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), provided for Customary Land Secretariats to improve the documentation and administration of customary land interests.
The Act also contains provisions governing the registration of land interests, including allodial title, an underlying ownership interest which may be held by the state, a stool or skin, a clan, a family or an individual.
He said the Lands Commission was working with the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to establish customary land secretariats to help landowning groups maintain records of their properties and transactions.
Incomplete records, he explained, made it difficult for the Commission to determine which family or customary landowning group held the underlying interest in some parcels.
The Commission intends to strengthen the registration of customary land interests and restrict the registration of subsequent transactions involving unregistered interests once Parliament passes the necessary legislative instrument.
The proposed restriction is not yet a measure being enforced nationwide.
Avoid full payment before verification
Mr Hokey advised prospective buyers against paying the full purchase price before completing the necessary ownership checks.
He said buyers could make a limited initial payment, depending on the agreement with the seller, while obtaining the site plan and conducting a search.
The search results should guide the decision on whether to proceed with the transaction.
Where the records indicate that the land belongs to another person or is subject to restrictions, buyers should seek clarification before making further payments.
He cautioned that a deposit should not replace proper checks and urged buyers to avoid committing substantial sums until they had verified the seller's authority and the legal status of the land.
Prepare the transaction documents properly
After completing the ownership checks, buyers should ensure that the transaction is properly documented.
Mr Hokey explained that an indenture was the legal agreement between the landowner, known as the lessor, and the person acquiring the land, known as the lessee.
The document should clearly describe the transaction and contain the terms agreed by both parties. The appropriate parties and witnesses must execute it properly.
The site plan must also meet the Commission's surveying and authentication requirements.
The instrument must undergo the applicable stamp duty process before submission for registration. Under the Land Act, 2020, conveyances are subject to legal requirements governing their preparation and execution.
Proper documentation and registration provide formal evidence of the transaction and help protect the buyer's interest in the property.
Online land searches
The Lands Commission has introduced an online service through which prospective buyers can submit site plans and obtain search reports without necessarily visiting its offices - onlineservices.lc.gov.gh.
Mr Hokey said the Commission was gradually digitising its operations to reduce the need for physical visits, improve efficiency and limit interactions which could expose applicants to delays or unofficial intermediaries.
What if the search shows no registered owner?
Mr Hokey said the absence of clear ownership information in the Commission's records should prompt further investigation rather than an immediate decision to purchase the land.
He acknowledged that some customary landowners had not registered their underlying interests, making it difficult for the Commission to identify the original landowning group from its records.
A parcel could have identifiable boundaries and a clear location but still lack sufficient ownership information in the Commission's records.
In such circumstances, buyers should seek further clarification about the original landowners, the seller's authority and any competing claims before proceeding.
The Commission has been encouraging customary owners to register their interests and maintain proper documentation to improve the reliability of land records.
Mr Hokey identified unclear boundaries, family disagreements and poor record-keeping as factors contributing to multiple sales and land litigation.
He said the Commission was working with the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to establish customary land secretariats to help landowning groups maintain records of their properties and transactions.
Why land disputes persist
Mr Hokey estimated that about 80 per cent of Ghana's land was under customary ownership, while the remaining 20 per cent was public land, including state and vested lands.
He attributed persistent land disputes partly to the complexity of Ghana's landownership system, which involves different forms of ownership and interests.
For vested lands, customary owners retain the beneficial interest while the state holds the legal interest. The arrangement can complicate land administration.
He also cited disputes over family leadership, poorly defined boundaries, inadequate record-keeping and the sale of the same parcel to multiple buyers as continuing challenges.
In some areas, landowners sell plots without providing access roads and other infrastructure, leaving purchasers to bear additional development costs.
Mr Hokey stressed that buying land did not automatically authorise a purchaser to begin construction. Developers must obtain the necessary planning and building approvals from the relevant authorities.
What to do when a land dispute arises
Mr Hokey advised buyers who discovered inconsistencies in ownership records, site plans or transaction documents to seek clarification from the Lands Commission before proceeding.
Where there were competing ownership claims, an ongoing court case or an injunction affecting the land, prospective purchasers should establish the legal implications and obtain appropriate legal advice before committing further funds.
He said the Commission also used alternative dispute resolution to help parties settle certain land disagreements.
People who had already purchased land but possessed only a payment receipt should pursue the necessary transaction documents, obtain a properly prepared site plan, conduct a search and take steps to register their interest.
Mr Hokey also cautioned that the property of a deceased person must go through the appropriate legal processes before title could be perfected or transferred.
The Commission has a complaints and advisory centre to assist members of the public with land-related concerns. Mr Hokey gave the contact number as 050-557-8100.
He encouraged applicants to deal directly with the Commission through its client service units or official online channels rather than rely on unofficial intermediaries who might falsely claim to be Commission staff.
He urged prospective buyers to verify ownership, confirm the seller's authority, inspect the boundaries and check the transaction documents before making full payment.
