The challenges of the twenty-first century are enormous. Ensuring adequate food
supply, energy, secure livelihoods, water among a host of essential needs of mankind
have remained a daunting challenge of many governments across the world. Land is
emerging as the point of attraction to solving the many problems emanating from
the increasing population. The scramble for land by both the poor and the rich at
the household, local and national levels has in recent times become a topical issue in
both local and international political discourses. Ghana has not been insulated from
this new paradigm of land scramble and thus far has had its fair share. It is ranked
fourth among the top ten countries in the world targeted for mixed deals (agro fuels
and other purposes) with 421, 808 ha of agricultural land already under acquisition
contract. This paper takes a historical view of large land trade in Ghana from the period
of colonial times to the current democratic dispensation. Using secondary data,
the study found that the recent large land acquisition is not a new phenomenon in
Ghana. It occurred in Ghana during the colonial era. The customary land owners have
been the key suppliers of land in this land enterprise during both the colonial era
and the period after the independence. There is a greater recognition of customary
claims to land by the state through constitutional and policy enactments. This recognition
however falls short of regulating the customary authorities in their land dispositions
especially rural land which are of much interest to the investors. It has thus
created a lacuna in the land control arrangement by the state which has left the customary
authorities to engage large land alienations without adequate controls. It is
recommended that, efforts be made by government to provide enough structures at
the local level to supervise and control land alienations by the customary authorities.
Kidido, Joseph Kwaku, Jonathan Zinzi Ayitey, and David Akelumbona Ayariga. "LARGE LAND ACQUISITIONS PHENOMENON IN GHANA: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW." In Real Estate Markets Development: Meeting the Challenge, Making the Difference - the 15th African Real Estate Society Conference, 242-257. AfRES. Kumasi, Ghana: African Real Estate Society, 2015.
Refereed Designation: Refereed