Ghana, Sierra Leone Deepen Land Reform Partnership

The Lands Commission has concluded a week-long knowledge-sharing programme with a high-level delegation from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, aimed at strengthening cooperation and advancing land administration reforms across West Africa. The study visit, undertaken under the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project (SLLAP), focused on exposing the delegation to Ghana’s land governance reforms, digital innovations and institutional transformation to support Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to modernize its land administration system.

Throughout the engagement, officials from the Lands Commission outlined Ghana’s reform journey, highlighting the implementation of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), the rollout of the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS), institutional restructuring and initiatives designed to improve transparency, efficiency and customer service. The presentations were led by the Head of the Special Projects Unit, Surveyor Benjamin Quaye. Opening the programme on behalf of the National Chairman of the Lands Commission Governing Board, Dr. Wordsworth Odame-Larbi, the Acting Deputy Executive Secretary (Operations), Surveyor Raphael Hokey, said Ghana and Sierra Leone share a common vision of building transparent, efficient and citizen-centred land administration systems capable of supporting sustainable development. He noted that collaboration between African institutions remains essential to addressing common land governance challenges and fostering regional integration through the exchange of practical experiences and innovative solutions.

The Acting Deputy Executive Secretary (Corporate Services), Emmanuel Adansi Bonah, also emphasised the value of sustained cooperation and continuous knowledge exchange among land administration institutions on the continent, describing such partnerships as critical to improving service delivery and strengthening institutional capacity. As part of the programme, technical experts from the Lands Commission’s four operational divisions—Public and Vested Lands Management, Land Registration, Land Valuation, and Survey and Mapping—delivered detailed presentations on Ghana’s legal and regulatory framework, land registration processes, valuation systems, digital transformation initiatives and geospatial management.

The discussions further explored shared challenges confronting both countries, including customary land administration, digitization of land records, boundary management and decentralisation of land services, while examining practical approaches to overcoming them. To complement the technical sessions, the Sierra Leonean delegation toured the Commission’s Data Centre and the Greater Accra Regional Office, where they observed the digital service delivery processes supported by the Enterprise Land Information System. They also held engagements with the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana and the Gbawe Customary Land Secretariat to gain broader insights into Ghana’s land governance ecosystem.

Closing the programme, the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Surveyor Professor Anthony Owusu-Ansah, described the visit as an important milestone in strengthening regional cooperation on land governance. He stressed that achieving sustainable land administration reforms requires sustained investment in technology, skilled human resources and public education to ensure effective land management and improved public confidence in land administration systems. On behalf of the Sierra Leonean delegation, Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Hon. Alusine Sesay, expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana and the Lands Commission for the warm reception and the extensive technical knowledge shared during the visit.

He described the study tour as highly beneficial, stating that the experiences and lessons gained would play an important role in supporting Sierra Leone’s ongoing land administration reforms and efforts to enhance efficiency and transparency in the sector. The visit concluded with both Ghana and Sierra Leone reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration, technical cooperation and continued knowledge exchange aimed at promoting transparent, efficient and sustainable land administration systems across the West African region.

Source: Lands Commission Communications Updates
Author: Joyce Owusu