Land Management and Utilization

The Factors and Actors Engaged in African Land Commoditization and How They Affect Communities in Northern Ghana

Helen Akolgo-Azupogo

Department of Planning and Land Administration, University for Development Studies, Tamale NT2701, Northern Region, Ghana

Roland Bardy

Bardy Consult, Mannheim 68199, Germany

Joseph M. Soale

Department of Planning and Land Administration, University for Development Studies, Tamale NT2701, Northern Region, Ghana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/lmu.v1i1.1580

Received: 12 December 2024 | Revised: 17 January 2025 | Accepted: 13 February 2025 | Published Online: 15 February 2025

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Abstract

Increase in multiple demands for land in Africa has been affected by increased global food and energy require‑ments together with population growth. This has in turn led to large‑scale acquisition of lands for agriculture by foreigners and wealthy local investors. Small holder farmers are at risk of losing their lands to the investors even if they receive government support. This often marginalizes the local people, undermines their livelihood and collides with the African indigenous tradition which sees land as a gift of God. Asinformation on the factors and actors in land commoditization is inadequate and often withheld, one purpose of this paper is to identify these actors and factors. The Bolga Municipality is used as an example because it carries all the characteristics that can be found throughout most of Africa. Data was gathered using key informant interviews, focus discussion and secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal that people sell their lands because they need to pay school fees, to build and live in decent houses, to expense money for upholding the tradition of resplendently celebrating funerals, to raise funds for the dowry of a bride, and because owners of small land parcels are often unemployed. To solve all this, better information is needed as well as purposeful job‑creation to decrease unemployment and socially adequate mortgages. As social cohesion depends on full inclusivity and accessibility for all who are affected by land deals, the government must take up the problem in a holistic manner.

Keywords: Commoditization; Africa; Indigenous Tradition; Land Transaction

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