Ownership
Stool land vs freehold, explained
Tenure is the part of Ghanaian property that most confuses buyers in the diaspora, because the categories do not map onto what "owning" property means in the UK or the US. Getting it wrong does not usually mean losing the land. It usually means discovering later that you bought something more limited than you thought.
Stool and skin land
A large share of land in Ghana is held by a stool or skin, meaning it is vested in a traditional authority and held on behalf of the community rather than owned outright by an individual.
What you buy is a leasehold interest, commonly 99 years for Ghanaians and 50 years for non-citizens, granted with the consent of the traditional authority and registered at the Lands Commission. That is a real, transferable interest. It is not the same as owning the land forever.
Family land
Family land is held collectively, and a valid sale needs the consent of the recognised head of family and the principal members. A single relative acting alone cannot give you good title, no matter how confident they sound.
Ask to see written consent from the family, and check who else would need to agree. This is the most common source of a sale being challenged years afterwards.
Freehold
Freehold is the closest to outright ownership, but the 1992 Constitution prevents the creation of new freehold interests in stool land, and non-citizens cannot hold freehold at all.
If someone offers you freehold, ask exactly where that interest came from. The answer should be documented and verifiable, not merely asserted.
Questions worth asking
What is the remaining term on the lease, and when did it start? A 99-year lease granted in 1970 is a very different proposition to one granted last year.
Has ground rent been paid, and is there anything outstanding? Who signed the grant, and do they still hold that office?
This guide is general orientation, not legal advice. Land transactions in Ghana turn on the specific documents and the specific plot. Instruct a licensed Ghanaian lawyer to act for you before making any payment.