As part of the UK government funded program of securing land rights of smallholder farmers on forest fringe communities, COLANDEF has established partnership with Cadasta to implement a land rights documentation program in the Obogu Traditional Area in the Asante Akyem District of the Ashanti Region. In our previous posts, we shared updates on progress we have made in training local volunteers and members of the Land Management Committee to equip them with the skills to conduct land mapping and land rights documentation.  

In this article, we want to share the positive relationship we have establish with the Traditional Leadership which has made this work possible, with high prospects of sustaining the outcomes from the project. 

Obogu Traditional Area is one of many customary land territories under the management of traditional leaders (called traditional areas) in Ghana. The land administration system in a traditional area is based on long held customary laws and practices. While different traditional areas have different customs and practices, a common characteristic of many customary land administration systems in Ghana is the absence of structures and systems for documenting land rights. As a result, there is increasing risks in land tenure security for most traditional areas where population has increased and there are competing land uses other than farming. This situation threatens the livelihood of most agricultural households in Ghana.  

Successful transition in Traditional Leadership and Key Lessons: 

The current Paramount Chief of the Obogu Traditional Area was installed less than a year ago. He was installed after the passing of the previous Paramount Chief with whom we started the partnership. When the new chief was installed, we had some concerns about the continuity of our partnership with the Obogu Traditional Area. We were worried that the new chief may not be interested to continue working with us or, we might experience some delays. With the support of the local leaders we have been working with, we went ahead to seek audience with the Paramount Chief. After a very productive and engaging interaction, he confirmed his commitment to continue working with us on the project his predecessor started. What contributed to this smooth transition? One main lesson we take is the importance of institutionalizing our project interventions. Working with a focal person is great but institutionalizing the entire project implementation is better. It contributes to sustainability.   

With direct support and approval from the new Paramount Chief of Obogu, COLANDEF and Cadasta continue to work in the Obogu Traditional Area. Our goal is not only to document land rights of smallholder farmers to benefit more than 2,000 households. We are also building the institutional capacity of the customary land institutions in Obogu so that at the end of the project, they will have the capacity to integrate land rights documentation in their land administration system. 

The entire COLANDEF and Cadasta Team want to appreciate Nana Owusu Ampe III, Paramount Chief of Obogu Traditional Area and his Council of Elders. We look forward to deepening this all important partnership.