Government to release names of individuals and companies that acquired public lands

The Government of Ghana has announced plans to publicly disclose the names of individuals, companies, and organisations that applied for public lands between 2017 and 2024.

Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, revealed the plan during a press conference on March 11 as part of ongoing reforms aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the management of state lands.

The initiative is being undertaken by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in partnership with the Lands Commission to strengthen oversight in the allocation and administration of public lands nationwide.

According to the Deputy Minister, authorities have spent several months reviewing thousands of applications submitted by individuals, private firms, and organisations seeking to lease or acquire government land during the period.

He disclosed that more than 8,000 applications were examined during the exercise. The review identified a number of irregularities, leading to the revocation of some allocations that did not meet the required criteria, while others that complied with the rules were maintained.

Sulemana explained that the decision to publish the information follows a directive approved by Cabinet to ensure greater public awareness of how government lands are allocated.

Under the plan, the Lands Commission will release the names of applicants and details of the lands acquired, including the amounts paid. The information will be published on a regional basis and will cover both completed and pending public land applications reviewed during the exercise.