The government has cancelled all uncompleted transactions involving public lands after a nationwide review of 8,160 lease applications uncovered widespread lapses in compliance with the Lands Commission’s internal allocation procedures.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, announced on Monday, February 16, 2026, that Cabinet has approved recommendations from a committee review and directed that implementation begin immediately.
The move follows a directive issued by President John Dramani Mahama on January 10, 2025, ordering the Lands Commission to halt the leasing and processing of public land transactions, a suspension the government said was aimed at preventing abuse and restoring discipline in land administration.
According to the minister, a committee chaired by his deputy was inaugurated on June 5, 2025, to review the lease of public lands across Ghana’s 16 regions. The committee reviewed 4,176 direct allocations, 2,799 regularizations, 19 direct allocations related to state bungalows, 108 land swap or public private partnership (PPP) arrangements, 795 subsequent transactions and 265 fresh allocations.
Of the land swap and PPP arrangements, 88 were in the Ashanti Region, the minister stated.
The review found that a number of the applications and allocations did not comply with internal processes, which the minister said undermined transparency and exposed the system to abuse.
All uncompleted transactions of the categories listed have been cancelled and affected applicants will be formally notified, Buah announced. Completed transactions will undergo case by case review, and any allocations found to have been processed without full compliance with due process will also face cancellation.
He further noted that uncompleted regularization applications will remain suspended pending a comprehensive review and standardization of the Lands Commission’s internal procedures.
For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure consistency in implementation, a transaction will be treated as completed where a formal offer has been issued and accepted by the applicant, he said.
In the interest of transparency, the ministry will publish both completed and uncompleted application lists on a region by region basis, beginning with Greater Accra, on the Ministry and Lands Commission websites.
The minister said affected applicants will be given the opportunity to reapply once reforms are completed, stressing the measures are not intended to unfairly disadvantage legitimate applicants.
Government will raise the premium charged on public land leases to a minimum of 70 percent of assessed market value and introduce stricter oversight requiring written approval from the Lands Minister before any public land can be allocated.
Over the years, premiums charged for the lease of public lands have ranged from approximately 1 to 30 percent of market value, the minister said.
Under the new framework, a minimum of 70 percent of the assessed market value of public land will be payable upfront as a premium, with the remaining 30 percent structured over the tenure of the lease as ground rent, Buah stated.
According to him, the revised premium structure is aimed at eliminating inconsistent pricing that has allowed public lands to be leased at widely varying values, even within the same neighborhood.
The reforms also include standardizing the public land application process nationwide by replacing what the minister described as inconsistent regional application forms. Every region had a different Form 5, he noted, adding that the ministry has completed a review of the application form and will now enforce a single mandatory Form 5 for all public land transactions across Ghana.
Applicants will be able to download and submit the form electronically.
The government has also reviewed the Lands Commission’s internal allocation process, introducing stricter controls intended to reduce abuse and improve traceability. Under the revised framework, no public land will be allocated by the Lands Commission without written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Buah announced.
The ministry said it will seek legislative backing for the reforms by incorporating them into draft land regulations currently under review.
To support consistent valuation, the government will compile market value data for defined land clusters nationwide and publish the information on the Lands Commission website.
A Public Land Protection Task Force will be formed to prevent encroachment and unauthorized development during the reform transition. The Task Force will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, the Lands Commission, the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies, and selected private sector technical experts.
The minister clarified that the temporary suspension placed on Lands Commission services has now been lifted. However, all transactions will proceed strictly under the new reforms to ensure transparency, accountability and value for money.
In a further boost to reform efforts, the ministry has secured 100 percent retention of the Lands Commission’s Internally Generated Funds, with 67 percent earmarked for a Land Bank and Digitalization Project.
The minister emphasized that public lands are held in trust for the people of Ghana and must serve national development objectives, stating that it is a solemn responsibility to safeguard these lands from mismanagement, misuse and unauthorized disposals.
The minister said the reforms are part of the government’s broader digitalization agenda, intended to reduce reliance on intermediaries and expand access to land administration services across the country.
