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Assessing the relationship between customary land administration and the informal land market in Ghana : a case study of Sokode Gborgame
Beckoe, Esther (2025) Assessing the relationship between customary land administration and the informal land market in Ghana : a case study of Sokode Gborgame.
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| Abstract: | This study examines the complex relationship between Customary Land Administration (CLA) and the Informal Land Market (ILM) in Ghana, using Sokode Gborgame as a case study. With approximately 80% of Ghana's land held under customary tenure, traditional authorities play a pivotal role in land governance. Yet challenges such as tenure insecurity, multiple land sales, and the absence of formal documentation persist. Through a qualitative research approach involving semi-structured interviews with traditional authorities, land buyers, community members, and institutional actors, as well as spatial analysis to identify areas with multiple land sale problems. The study explores how customary land practices influence land access, transaction processes, and tenure security in the ILM. Findings reveal that while CLA enhances accessibility and affordability in land acquisition, its limited integration with formal systems results in inefficiencies, tenure insecurity, multiple land sales and disputes. The research highlights the role of oral agreements, symbolic rituals, document agreements and customary validation in legitimizing transactions, but also identifies gaps in record-keeping and transparency. The study proposes a transaction verification framework to align customary and formal land administration systems, aiming to enhance transparency, improve land tenure security, and foster a more efficient and equitable land market. These insights contribute to ongoing policy efforts to harmonize Ghana’s dual land governance systems and support sustainable land management. Keywords: Customary Land Administration, Informal Land Market, Tenure Security, Land Information, Transparency |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation |
| Programme: | Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation MSc (75014) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107081 |
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