President John Dramani Mahama has lifted the temporary ban on state and public land transactions with immediate effect to ensure transparency and accountability.
He also announced new measures to transform Ghana’s land administration system.
The announcement was made at the inauguration of the new Governing Board of the National Lands Commission on Tuesday, where the President described it as “a comprehensive national reset” of the country’s land governance.
According to President Mahama, the ban, which took effect on January 10, 2025, was to allow a review of Ghana’s land administration system, which revealed major shortcomings that required urgent reforms.
“My government places a temporary ban on all state land transactions to enable a thorough review of existing processes. That exercise has yielded valuable insights into the weaknesses of our current system and the urgent reforms that are required.
“So today, with the inauguration of the new commission and the adoption of robust accountability measures, I’m pleased to announce that the ban on land transactions has been lifted. Henceforth, all land transactions and locations, whether lease or sale, must strictly comply with transparent processes, data verification, and oversight mechanisms,” he stated.
To the President, lifting the ban does not signify a return to business as usual but signals a new disciplined era of land management in the quest for a reset that prioritizes transparency, fairness, and justice in land administration.
President Mahama also announced a full audit of all state lands allocated, leased, or sold, particularly between 2017 and 2024.
“I have directed the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission to immediately undertake a comprehensive audit of all state lands allocated, leased, or sold. This audit will cover lands acquired for schools, hospitals, and public institutions, forests and ecological zones unlawfully converted to private use. Any transactions tainted by conflicts of interest, abuse of power, or political patronage,” he said.
According to the President, “Where illegality or inappropriateness is discovered, such transactions will be recovered.”
He pointed out that his government’s actions are far from any act of witch-hunting, as those whose land acquisitions were done properly need not panic.
“We are not on a witch hunt. Those who have legally acquired land through proper processes need not fear. This exercise is about fairness and justice,” he said.
