Formalizing Informality for Increased Security: Customary Land Tenure Formalization in Ghana

Using an ethnographic data on land tenure arrangements in selected communities in rural Manya Krobo, Ghana and literature, this paper explains why land (tenure) reforms in Ghana have often produced discouraging results. The results of the study show that elite capture tendencies embedded in reform processes, do not always guarantee tenure security, equity and the protection that proponents of such reforms suggest. Rather such reforms have been ineffective, counterproductive, and only served the interest of the wealthy and more powerful in society and in some cases intensified poverty. This paper shows cases of State officials and institutions colluding with the more powerful in societies to influence and divert the direction of public policies which aim at protecting the land poor, to rather serve the interest of the non-poor and more powerful in society. It is suggested that until the laws are rightly enforced and other elite tendencies identified and corrected, any reform aimed at profiting the land poor may always end up excluding them to the benefit of the wealthy, who wields much power and resources. It is concluded that while land (tenure) reform is necessary, and unavoidable in developing countries, the processes of reforms should be made more democratic and able to minimize elite capture tendencies. The process should make frantic efforts to encourage the involvement of the poor at all levels to represent their own interest, constituencies and voices.