Enhancing Efficiency in Land Management through the Customary Land Secretariats (CLSs) in Upper West Region, Ghana

Abstract

The usefulness of land to the development and wellbeing of any group of people is dependent first on its availability and then on how well it is being managed. However, little or no documentation of land transactions, boundary disputes and petit family disagreements among others have been obstacles to the efficient management of land in the Upper West region of Ghana. The research aims at finding out the extent to which the CLSs have since their inception, contributed to the attainment of an efficient land management system in Ghana using the Wa Municipal, Sagmaalu and Tabiasi CLSs as a case study.  It also finds out the prospects of the CLSs and the challenges confronting them. It then provides practical and appropriate approaches to the realization of the ultimate benefits when land is well managed. The paper did these by reviewing the LAP documents and other literature on land management. Data was collected from the CLSs through direct personal and key informant interviews and also by observation. The analysis of data is done through the narrative analytical approach where the researchers captured the live experiences of CLSs in relation to the primary objectives that were spelt out for them.   This enabled the researchers to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the secretariats established based on the different approaches (supply and demand based approaches). The research revealed that the CLSs have been able to ensure peace and harmony in their operational areas through various land disputes resolution mechanisms, and promoted sustainable land use and management practices among all manner of land users in the area.

Keywords: Efficiency, Sustainability, Land management, Customary