Promoting Inclusivity in the Land Market through Legislative Reforms in Ghana

Social inclusion in resource governance and enjoyment is critical towards attaining social cohesion, stability and shared prosperity. Thus, leaving no one behind is critical to sustainable development and inclusive growth. This underpins the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The paper examines how land law reforms in Ghana with the passage of the Land Act 2020 (Act, 1036) promote social inclusion in the land market. The study used a descriptive research design and interviewed 69 respondents - land experts and practitioners. The results show that the new land law promotes social inclusion in the land market. All the 14 constructed social inclusion indicators based on certain provisions of the Act were generally critical in promoting inclusiveness. However, six of the indicators – expert representation in compensation assessment, prohibition of discriminatory practices, ensuring transparency and accountability, recognition of user rights and registration, automatic renewal leases for indigenes, a change of a person authorised to make a grant of stool or skin, or family land does not affect previous grants significantly promote inclusiveness in the land market. The law also sets out a compensation payment and sharing framework, protection of spousal property rights, and safeguards in large-scale land disposals, further bolstering inclusivity in the land market. The paper underscores the need for enough public education on the provisions of the law and the enactment of a legislative instrument to guide implementation.