On Thursday, 11th September 2025, FOSDA in collaboration with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) under the EU supported ENACT project held a research dissemination workshop on Protracted Protracted Land guard crises in Ghana.
The workshop brought together representatives from the ISS, European Union, Academia, Peace Council, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, Lands Commission, Police CID and Community Policing Units, Legal Aid, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Youth Development, Ghana Armed Forces, CSOs
Lead researcher Dr, Christian Ani disclosed the various methods land guards have used overtime to fit into the broader land dispute system in Ghana and well as strategies and recommendations to reduce their influence.
Chairman for the workshop, Professor Kwame Gyan in his remarks noted the exclusion of specific ethnicity and groups have contributed to the supply of land guards on one side and Judicial delays in land adjudication have also fostered “self-help” actions. He called for further intervention in specific rules in managing land cases; support to intelligence and enforcement capacity and decentralization of the Lands Commission as 1st contact point at the district level.
Discussions emphasized the central role of Land tenure; definitional problem of Land guard, Youth Empowerment; role of Chieftaincy; capacity and logistical support for enforcement as major challenges in Ghana land administration which feed into land guardism.
In her closing remarks, Executive Director of FOSDA, Theodora Williams called for close cooperation between customary and statutory actors, and more education for communities on land laws. She emphasized the need for consistent support to the National Peace Council to help support their role in peace building in land related conflict. She also called on government to extend the current youth employment and empowerment programs such as the Adwumawura and National Apprenticeship programs to conflict prone areas and target at risk youth to minimise the involvement in land guardism.