The World Bank on Thursday approved a $35 million International Development Association (IDA) to support Ghana’s efforts in improving services and efficiency at the Lands Commission.

This is an additional funding for the second phase of the Ghana Land Administration project (LAP2).

It will help improve the effectiveness of the Customary Land Secretariats which is an important aspect of land governance in Ghana where an estimated 80 per cent of landholders are under the customary law.

“Both the World Bank and the Government recognize that LAP2 has more to do to really impact the lives of ordinary Ghanaians, which is the reason for continuing with this additional financing to complete the LAP2 agenda, so citizens can see a real impact,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“Ghanaians will receive better and faster services from both the Lands Commission and the Customary Land Secretariats and have more access to property and land information,' he added.

This additional financing will help complete the base map for Ghana with aerial photography for most of the country and support the rollout of the Ghana Enterprise Land Information System (GELIS) with additional digitisation of land records. The planned integration of land records for all types of land in GELIS will benefit the whole of Ghana as more clarity and transparency in land holdings is made available for planning, development projects, environmental management and other uses.

LAP2 will also support activities such as building public awareness and customer feedback mechanisms to ensure that citizens are engaged and hold the Lands Commission and Customary Land Secretariats accountable. The Government’s interest in engaging the private sector in land administration and management will also be supported under the project.

The closing date of the project is now extended to December 31, 2021.

“This will ensure full completion of the LAP2 agenda to consolidate and strengthen Ghana’s land administration and management systems for efficient land services delivery,” said Victoria Stanley, Senior Land Administration Specialist and Task Team Leader.